What is Whooping Cough?
Whooping cough (also called pertussis) is a serious disease of the airways. It can lead to pneumonia, brain damage and sometimes death. It is especially serious for babies, but can affect people at any age.
Vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect you from serious disease caused by whooping cough.
By getting vaccinated against whooping cough, you can also help protect other people, especially people who are too young to be vaccinated. The more people who are vaccinated in your community, the less likely the disease will spread.
Who should get the Whooping Cough Immunisation?
Children aged 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 18 months, four years, and between 10 and 15 years (at school), at no cost under the National Immunisation Program (NIP)
Pregnant women in the third trimester, ideally between weeks 20 and 32 of every pregnancy, at no cost through the NIP
Healthcare workers, if they have not had a whooping cough vaccine in the past 10 years
People working in early childhood education and care, if they haven’t had a whooping cough vaccine in the past 10 years
Adult household contacts and carers of babies under 6 months old
People who are travelling overseas, if they haven’t had a whooping cough vaccine in the past 10 years
Adults of any age who need a tetanus, diphtheria or polio dose (you can get a combination vaccine that includes whooping cough to increase protection)
People aged 50 years, at the same time as they get their recommended tetanus and diphtheria vaccine
People aged 65 or over, if they have not had a whooping cough vaccine in the past 10 years.
People under 20 years old, refugees and other humanitarian entrants of any age, can get whooping cough vaccines at no cost through the NIP. This is if they did not receive the vaccines in childhood. This is called catch-up vaccination.
Contact the clinic to book in for your whooping cough vaccine! Gunditjmara Health Clinic:
3 Banyan Street, Warrnambool
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