The vaccine is offered:

• in pregnancy
• to children and babies

Pregnancy

The vaccine is offered in pregnancy.

It is offered between gestational weeks 16 and 32 to maximise protection of the baby from birth.

Women may still be immunised after week 32 of pregnancy but this may not offer as high a level of passive immunological protection to the baby.

However, it may directly protect the mother against disease and thereby reduce the risk of exposure to her infant.

Babies and children

Young babies and children are also offered protection against pertussis as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule:

• offered at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age in the 6-in-1 vaccine
• offered to children by three years and four months in the 4-in-1 booster

Find out more about the pertussis vaccination on NHS inform.