25/06/2024
We are delighted to announce that the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine is now available through Western Trust clinics in addition to GP practices, making the vaccine even more accessible to pregnant women.
Northern Ireland has continued to see a rise in whooping cough (pertussis) cases, a highly contagious and sometimes serious bacterial infection, which can make babies and young children in particular very ill. There have been 1,788 confirmed cases of whooping cough (pertussis) so far this year in Northern Ireland compared with just two between 2021 and 2023.
Louise Flanagan, Consultant in Public Health at the PHA, said:
“We are urging pregnant women to get the pertussis vaccine to help protect their newborn babies after a significant rise in cases of whooping cough. Young babies are at greatest risk of developing more serious disease, so it is very important that women take the offer of pertussis vaccine during each pregnancy so that their baby is protected against whooping cough after they are born.
“Whooping cough is a disease that can cause long bouts of coughing and choking, which can make it hard to breathe. The evidence shows that babies born to vaccinated mothers are 90% less likely to get the disease than babies whose mothers were unvaccinated.”
Women can have the vaccine from 16 weeks of pregnancy and ideally between 20 and 32 weeks of pregnancy, but the vaccine can be beneficial even if given later then 32 weeks. Whooping cough vaccines are now available through Western Trust clinics as well as at GP practices, speak to your midwife to find out more.
The Western Trust are hosting clinics at several venues throughout the summer, full vaccine clinic details are as follows:
Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Vaccination Clinics Timetable
| CLINIC LOCATION | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altnagelvin - Level 5 Tower Block | 9:00AM - 4:30PM | ||||
| Altnagelvin - Anderson House | 9:00AM - 4:00PM | 9:00AM - 1:00PM | 1:00PM - 4:00PM | 9:00AM - 1:00PM | |
| Shantallow Health Centre | 1:00PM - 4:00PM | 1:00PM - 4:00PM | 1:00PM - 4:00PM | 1:00PM - 4:00PM | |
| OHPCC - Outpatients Department | 9:00AM - 4:30PM | ||||
| South West Acute Hospital - Key Workers Accommodation | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
The whooping cough vaccine is also given as part of the childhood vaccination programme to children at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age and at aged 3 years 4 months. If you are unsure if your child is up to date with vaccinations, the easiest way to check is to look at your child’s red book or speak to your health visitor or GP practice.
Parents should be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough, which include severe coughing fits accompanied by the characteristic ‘whoop’ sound in young children, and by a prolonged cough in older children or adults. It is also advisable to keep babies away from anyone showing the signs or symptoms of whooping cough.
Whooping cough can spread very easily. It is best to call your GP practice or GP Out of Hours service before you go in person. This will help to reduce it spreading to others. In an emergency, dial 999.
For further information on whooping cough and vaccinations visit www.pha.site/whooping-cough and www.nidirect.gov.uk/conditions/whooping-cough