Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine - Safety and effectiveness
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent severe illness from whooping cough. No vaccine is 100% effective, so it is still important to know the signs and symptoms of whooping cough, even if you or your child is vaccinated.
For more information about whooping cough, visit the NHS 111 Wales website or if you would like to learn more about the diseases, a number of information resources are available to help on our whooping cough page.
Vaccine safety in pregnancy
There is no evidence that the vaccine offered during pregnancy is a risk to pregnant women, the pregnancy or the baby.
The vaccine you will be given has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Studies show no risks to pregnancy are caused by the vaccine. The rates of normal, healthy babies are the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated women.
The vaccine is highly effective and has an excellent safety record. Millions of doses are given worldwide.
There is no better way to protect your baby from whooping cough in the first few weeks of their life than the vaccination. The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta. The placenta is on the inside of your womb and links your blood supply with your unborn baby.
Your protection (from either having whooping cough or being vaccinated when you were young) may have worn off. Even if you are planning to breastfeed, not enough protection against whooping cough is passed on in the breast milk to protect your baby.
Getting vaccinated lowers your risk of being infected with whooping cough and the risk of passing whooping cough on to your baby.
Who shouldn’t get the whooping cough vaccine?
There are very few reasons why you cannot have the whooping cough vaccine. The vaccine should not be given to anyone who has had a severe (life-threatening) reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have an allergy to latex, as there is a suitable alternative vaccine for those with a latex allergy.
Side effects of the vaccine
Like all medicines, vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are mild and don’t last long, and not everyone gets them. The most common side effects should only last a day or two.
Common side effects
Some of the most common side effects in the first day or two are:
- swelling, redness or tenderness where you had the vaccine
- headache
- diarrhoea
- body aches or muscle weakness
- tiredness, and
- feeling unwell.
Very rare side effects
Serious allergic reactions are very rare. These may include:
- rashes that may be itchy or form blisters
- a blue tongue or lips
- swollen eyes and face
- difficulty breathing or swallowing, and
- dizziness or losing consciousness.
Reactions like this may happen before you leave the doctor’s surgery. However, if you get any of these symptoms at any time after having the vaccination, you should contact a doctor immediately.
Reports of all side effects can be found in the patient information leaflet for the vaccine. For more information on side effects, visit the medicines.org.uk website:
If you or your child’s symptoms get worse or if you are concerned, contact NHS 111 Wales by calling 111, or contact your GP surgery. Calls to NHS 111 Wales are free from landlines and mobile phones.
You should report suspected side effects of vaccines and medicines through the Yellow Card scheme. You can do this online by visiting Yellow Card’s website or by calling the Yellow Card scheme hotline on 0800 731 6789 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Page last reviewed: 15th August 2025