Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Vaccination

This vaccination is relevant for every age group — in particular for infants, pregnant women, and close contacts of infants.

Primary immunisation normally takes place in childhood. However, it can be caught up at any time; in adulthood, a single vaccination suffices. In adulthood, vaccination should be given once in combination with the next due booster against tetanus and diphtheria. A single-antigen vaccine against whooping cough is not available.

The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends vaccination especially for all women who wish to become pregnant, as well as for close contacts of infants (siblings, grandparents, babysitters, etc.) in order to prevent the newborn from being put at risk. If you are pregnant, you should be vaccinated against whooping cough during the final third of your pregnancy. Maternal antibodies against the disease are then transferred to the child (passive immunity). The vaccination also protects the mother, of course.

The pertussis vaccine is an inactivated vaccine and is usually administered as a combination vaccine. The injection is given into the deltoid muscle of the upper arm.

The vaccine is well tolerated. The stimulation of the body’s own immune defences very commonly leads to redness or swelling at the injection site, which can also be painful. Rarely, general symptoms such as a raised temperature, chills, fatigue, muscle pain, or gastrointestinal complaints may occur during the first three days after vaccination. Such vaccination reactions generally subside after one to three days.

To check whether you have vaccination protection, simply book an appointment for a vaccination status review at one of our avi practices and discuss this with our medical team. They will advise you in detail on whether you are already protected or whether you should receive a vaccination. The doctors will also check whether there are any further vaccinations that would be beneficial for you and, where appropriate, will administer these directly.