Whooping Cough Vaccine in Pregnancy: Why Every Pregnancy Counts

The short answer: whooping cough is most dangerous for babies under 3 months, who are too young to have completed their own vaccinations. A whooping cough vaccine given to the mother during pregnancy is about 91.5% effective at preventing infant death from the disease, and it is recommended in every pregnancy¹.

What does the latest data show?

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published its latest surveillance report on 24 September 2026¹:

From January to March 2026 there were 71 laboratory-confirmed cases of whooping cough in England, compared with 2,896 in the same months of 2024
Whooping cough is cyclical, with increases every 3 to 5 years
Confirmed cases in babies under 3 months went from 2 in 2022 to 48 in 2023 and 433 in 2024, before falling back to 12 in 2025
Between 2013 and the end of 2025, 33 babies with confirmed whooping cough died. All were too young to be fully protected by their own vaccinations, and 27 of them had mothers who were not vaccinated in pregnancy
Vaccine uptake among pregnant women recovered from 58.9% in March 2024 to 75.1% in December 2025

We are currently in a trough between peaks. Nobody can predict when the next one will arrive, and the pregnancy vaccine protects exactly the babies who are most vulnerable when it does.

What are the symptoms of whooping cough?

The NHS describes it like this²:

Stage	What you see
First week or so	Like a cold: runny nose and sore throat, with a high temperature uncommon
After that	Bouts of coughing that last a few minutes and are worse at night
Between coughs	Possibly a "whoop", a gasp for breath; thick mucus that can cause vomiting
Duration	The cough may last for several weeks or months

An important caveat: young babies under 3 months may not make the "whoop" at all. Young infants may have difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and may turn blue or grey².

Why is it most dangerous for young babies?

The NHS says babies under 6 months with whooping cough have an increased chance of dehydration, breathing difficulties, pneumonia and seizures, and that hospital treatment is usually needed at this age².

When is the vaccine given in pregnancy?

Where	Recommended timing
UK¹	Usually around 20 weeks, about the time of the mid-pregnancy scan. It can be given from week 16 and ideally before week 32. Women who miss it can still have it later
US CDC³	During the early part of the third trimester of every pregnancy

The idea is that antibodies made by the mother after vaccination pass to the baby, giving protection before the baby can be vaccinated directly¹. The CDC notes that the vaccine also helps protect against tetanus and diphtheria, but the main goal in pregnancy is to protect babies in their first few months of life³.

Follow the antenatal pathway where you live. For what happens at each stage, see our prenatal checkup schedule.

What about the baby's own vaccinations?

Where	Primary doses	Boosters
UK¹	8, 12 and 16 weeks	18 months (for children born on or after 1 July 2024) and 3 years 4 months
US CDC³	2, 4 and 6 months	15–18 months and 4–6 years

UKHSA stresses that babies should be vaccinated on time, and that any missed dose should be caught up at the earliest opportunity¹. For common reactions, see vaccines explained.

When should you get medical help?

Get urgent medical advice if²:

a baby under 6 months has symptoms of whooping cough
the cough is very bad and getting worse
a pregnant woman has been in contact with someone with whooping cough

Call emergency services for any of the following²:

lips, tongue, face or skin suddenly turning blue or grey
difficulty breathing
chest pain that is worse when breathing or coughing
a seizure

The NHS also explains that if whooping cough is diagnosed within 3 weeks of the cough starting, antibiotics are given mainly to stop it spreading. A person is contagious for up to 3 weeks after the coughing starts, and should stay off nursery or school until 48 hours after starting antibiotics. Aspirin should not be given to children under 16².

Frequently asked questions

I had the vaccine in my last pregnancy. Do I need it again? Yes. Both UK and US guidance recommend it in every pregnancy¹³.

An adult at home has had a cough for weeks. Could they pass it to the baby? Yes. Of the cases confirmed in England from January to March 2026, 78.9% were in people aged 15 or over¹. An adult with a lingering cough should keep their distance from a young baby and see a doctor.

My baby coughs but there is no "whoop". Does that rule it out? No. Babies under 3 months and some adults may not make the sound².

This article summarises public information from the UK's UKHSA and NHS and the US CDC. The case data are from England, and vaccine timing and products differ between countries, so follow the advice of your local health authority and your maternity team. If your baby has difficulty breathing, turns blue or has a seizure, seek medical care immediately.

References

UK Health Security Agency. (2026, September 24). Laboratory confirmed cases of pertussis in England: January to March 2026. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pertussis-laboratory-confirmed-cases-reported-in-england-2026/laboratory-confirmed-cases-of-pertussis-in-england-january-to-march-2026 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸
NHS. (2026, August 6). Whooping cough. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/whooping-cough/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, December 2). Whooping cough vaccine recommendations. https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/vaccines/recommendations.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴