(VIS) ‘What is pertussis?’
Doctor Ketaki Sharma: Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is a bacterial infection of the airways that can cause illness in people of all ages. The bacteria that causes whooping cough mainly spreads through the air in tiny particles or droplets of fluid that are made when people who are infected cough or sneeze.
(VIS) ‘What happens if my child gets pertussis?’
Doctor Sharma: If your baby or child catches whooping cough, it can cause them to cough violently. It affects their airways and lungs and can make it hard to breathe. The cough can last for several months. Whooping cough can also lead to lung infection or pneumonia, and in rare cases, brain damage or death.
(VIS) ‘What vaccine will protect my child?’
Doctor Sharma: Vaccination is the best way to protect your child from whooping cough. Pertussis vaccines available in Australia for children are combination vaccines that also protect against diphtheria and tetanus and, in some vaccines, polio, Hib and hepatitis B. Combination vaccines protect your child from multiple diseases with fewer injections and less pain and stress for your child. Under the National Immunisation Program, children receive the free pertussis containing vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 18 months, 4 years and between 11 to 13 years of age to provide the best possible protection. If you’re pregnant, you are recommended to get the whooping cough vaccine to protect your baby from whooping cough in their first few weeks of life. The best time to get this vaccine is between 20 and 32 weeks of pregnancy to maximise the protection for your baby.
(VIS) 'How does the vaccine work?’
Doctor Sharma: The vaccine contains an inactive part of the whooping cough bacteria that trains your child’s immune system to recognise and fight the infection. If they then catch whooping cough, their symptoms will generally be mild, and they will have strong protection against the severe complications of the disease. The effectiveness of the whooping cough vaccine declines into adolescence. That’s why it’s recommended to vaccinate again between the ages of 11 to 13 years and when pregnant, or as a household contact or carer for young babies, to reduce the risk of passing whooping cough on.
(VIS) ‘What are the common reactions or side effects?’
Doctor Sharma: Your child may experience mild reactions to the vaccine which usually disappear within a few days. Common reactions include redness, swelling and soreness at the injection site. Less common reactions include a mild fever and tiredness. More severe reactions are very rare.
(VIS) ‘What impact has vaccination had on the prevalence of the disease?’
Doctor Sharma: The pertussis vaccine has reduced the rate of illness and hospitalisation from whooping cough in Australia. Outbreaks still occur every 3 to 4 years and infection is most common and severe in people who are not vaccinated.
(VIS) ‘Where to find more information’
(VIS) ‘Always talk to your health professional if you have any questions about childhood vaccinations. For more information, visit Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation at skai.org.au/childhood’
In this video, Dr Ketaki Sharma shares how you can protect your child from whooping cough with free vaccines available under the National Immunisation Program.