Choose a weekday. No GP referral or waiting list.
Pharmacist confirms the right vaccine.
Single upper arm injection. Record emailed.
One dose provides lasting protection.
Bordetella pertussis is transmitted in respiratory droplets when coughing or close contact. Attack rates in unvaccinated household contacts are 90 per cent. Adults usually carry it asymptomatically and pass it on, which is the primary means it infects newborns.
There are three stages to whooping cough: a cold-like beginning, followed by weeks of intense coughing fits with a “whoop” gasp. The traditional whoop is often missed by adults. Fits can cause a newborn to completely stop breathing, which can be lethal.
Common side effects include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, typically resolving within a day or two. Mild headache, fatigue or low-grade fever may be experienced. Serious reactions are rare. Your pharmacist will watch you during your appointment.
Newborns under 8 weeks
Too young for their first vaccine dose, entirely dependent on passive immunity transferred from a vaccinated mother
Infants under 6 months
Partially vaccinated but not yet fully protected, coughing fits can stop breathing entirely
Grandparents and close household contacts
The most common source of pertussis transmission to newborns in UK outbreak data
Pregnant women
Infection during pregnancy can cause premature labour; maternal vaccination protects both mother and newborn
Immunocompromised adults
Reduced ability to fight bacterial infection and a higher risk of prolonged or severe illness
Travellers to outbreak-affected regions
Direct exposure risk in countries with active circulation and lower vaccination coverage
Healthcare workers
Close and frequent contact with infants and vulnerable patients in clinical settings
Mandeep Sandhu is superintendent pharmacist and independent prescriber at Maidstone Travel Clinic with specialist travel health training from NaTHNaC. Mandeep Sandhu is a fully accredited Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre vaccinator, qualified to advise, vaccinate and supply travel medications in one appointment.
Each consultation is personally led, not delegated, not rushed. Patients depart with a plan tailored to their individual trip, not a generic printout.
Pregnant women (16–32 weeks) and children receive free NHS pertussis vaccinations via midwives or GPs. Our clinic provides private boosters for adults, grandparents, and close newborn contacts ineligible for NHS coverage.
Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination is not given as a standalone jab. It is included as part of a combined vaccine also covering diphtheria, tetanus, and polio. At our Maidstone clinic we use Repevax or Boostrix-IPV, both of which cover all four diseases in a single injection.
Pregnant women should see their midwife or GP for free NHS maternal pertussis vaccines (weeks 16–32). Our private booster service focuses on grandparents, partners, and close newborn contacts.
Protection from a pertussis booster develops within one to two weeks of vaccination. If you are a grandparent or close contact planning to spend time with a newborn, try to get vaccinated at least two weeks before the baby is born or before your first visit.
In most cases, yes. Combined pertussis vaccines can be given alongside other inactivated travel vaccines at the same appointment. Your pharmacist will confirm the most appropriate scheduling based on your full vaccination plan at your consultation.
