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Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine - About the whooping cough vaccine

The whooping cough vaccine is a safe and effective way of protecting pregnant women, unborn babies, infants and children from this infection. 

There is no vaccine that only protects against whooping cough. Instead, the vaccines offered are combination vaccines that protect against different diseases, including whooping cough. 

You will be offered one dose of the vaccine, which is given as an injection in the upper arm. The vaccine is not live, and it cannot cause whooping cough.

Which whooping cough vaccine will I be given?

 All whooping cough vaccines also contain diphtheria and tetanus. Depending on which vaccine you are offered, some may also contain polio. The vaccine given in pregnancy will be either:  

Babies will receive the 6-in-1 vaccine, while children and adults are given the 4-in-1 vaccine. You can find more information about these vaccinations on the following pages:

Importance of vaccination during pregnancy

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. This immunity will help protect your baby in the first few weeks of life when they are most vulnerable, up until they are old enough to have their first whooping cough vaccine at eight weeks. The protection your baby receives from you having the vaccine will wear off, so it is important you take your baby for their routine vaccinations.

The vaccine also protects you from getting whooping cough and lowers the risk of you passing it on to your baby.

Why can’t babies be vaccinated at birth?

Even if your baby was vaccinated immediately, they would not be protected from birth as it takes up to two weeks to develop a response to the vaccine. Also, babies need to complete the full schedule of vaccinations that contain the whooping cough vaccine to get a good level of protection against whooping cough.

Importance of vaccinating children

If you have other young children, it is important to make sure that they are up to date with their vaccinations. This will help prevent them from getting whooping cough and passing it on to your new baby.  

The routine immunisation schedules for Wales provides details about when your child’s vaccinations are due. 

Page last reviewed: 2nd May 2025