What Are The Side Effects
Vaccines are very safe. It is much safer to get the vaccine than it is to get pertussis.
Many people have no side effects from these vaccines. For those that do, side effects are usually mild and last 1 to 2 days . Serious side effects are extremely rare.
It is important to stay in the clinic for 15 minutes after getting any vaccine because there is a very rare possibility, between one in 100,000 and one in a million, of a life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. This may include hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the throat, tongue or lips. Should this reaction occur, your health care provider is prepared to treat it. Emergency treatment includes administration of epinephrine and transfer by ambulance to the nearest emergency department. If symptoms develop after you leave the clinic, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
It is important to always report serious or unexpected reactions to your health care provider.
Whooping Cough Vaccination In Pregnancy
Whooping cough rates have risen sharply in recent years and babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk.
Young babies with whooping cough are often very unwell and most will be admitted to hospital because of their illness. When whooping cough is particularly severe, they can die.
Pregnant women can help protect their babies by getting vaccinated ideally from 16 weeks up to 32 weeks pregnant. If for any reason you miss having the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour.
Vaccine Effectiveness In Adolescents And Adults
Pertussis-containing vaccines with reduced antigen content are immunogenic, including in older people.42,76-78 A randomised trial in adults reported a point estimate of 92% efficacy against culture-positive or nucleic acid testpositive disease within 2.5 years of vaccination with a 3-component monovalent pertussis vaccine.60
Duration of immunity in adolescents and adults
Data on the duration of immunity to pertussis after a single booster dose of dTpa are limited. Long-term follow-up of adults showed a rapid decline in pertussis antibody levels within 2 years after vaccination. This decline continued steadily to 10 years after vaccination, although antibody levels remained above baseline.27
Long-term follow-up of adolescents showed a more rapid decline. Pertussis antibody levels decreased to, or approached, pre-vaccination levels after 10 years.28 The rate of decline in clinical protection is unknown, but some protection against clinical disease may persist for up to 10 years.
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Vaccination During Pregnancy Offers The Best Protection
When women get a Tdap vaccine while pregnant, their babies have better protection against whooping cough than babies whose mothers did not get vaccinated during pregnancy. Getting a Tdap vaccine between 27 through 36 weeks of pregnancy lowers the risk of whooping cough in babies younger than 2 months old by 78%1.
If you did not get a Tdap vaccine during pregnancy and have never received it before, you can get it after your baby is born. It will take about 2 weeks before your body develops protection in response to the vaccine. Once you have protection from the vaccine, you are less likely to give whooping cough to your newborn while caring for him. But remember, your baby will still be at risk for catching whooping cough from others.
Learn why Laura decided to get the whooping cough vaccine in her 3rd trimester of pregnancy and how her baby girl was born with some protection against the disease.Also available on YouTube.
When Should Adults Be Vaccinated With Tdap
The CDC recommends the Tdap vaccine for all adults ages 19 and older who have never received the vaccine, especially:
- Health care workers who have direct contact with patients
- Caregivers of infants under 1 year old, including parents, grandparents, and babysitters
- Pregnant women in their third trimester , even if they have previously received Tdap vaccine this can protect a newborn from whooping cough in the first months of life.
- New mothers who have never received the Tdap
- People who travel to countries where pertussis is common
You may be given the Tdap vaccine if you have a severe cut or burn and have never received a dose before. Severe cuts or burns raise your risk for tetanus.
The Tdap vaccine can be given any time of the year. Only one shot is needed. It may be given with other vaccinations. Tdap can be given regardless of the interval since the last Td vaccine was given.
The Tdap vaccine can be used safely for those ages 65 and over, according to 2013 CDC recommendations.
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When Should I Have The Whooping Cough Vaccine
The best time to get vaccinated to protect your baby is from 16 weeks up to 32 weeks of pregnancy. This maximises the chance that your baby will be protected from birth, through the transfer of your antibodies before he or she is born.
If for any reason you miss having the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour. However, this is not ideal, as your baby is less likely to get protection from you. At this stage of pregnancy, having the vaccination may not directly protect your baby, but would help protect you from whooping cough and from passing it on to your baby.
Differences From The Dtap Vaccine
The Tdap vaccine is different from the DTaP vaccine. They both protect against the same three diseases, but they have different dosages and uses.
The Tdap and DTaP vaccines both work by exposing the body to a very small amount of inactivated toxins that tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis bacteria produce. This teaches the immune system how to respond to these infections.
Doctors administer five full-strength doses of the DTaP vaccine to children between the ages of . The ages they typically get the doses are:
- 2 months old
95 out of 100 individuals from pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus for 10 years, although its protection decreases over time.
Doctors advise that adolescents have their first dose of Tdap between the ages of 11 and 12 years. An adult who has never had the Tdap vaccine before can get it at any time. In certain situations, doctors can give this vaccine to children as young as 7 years old.
Even if someone has already had one of the three diseases, they should still get regular Tdap shots. Recovering from one of these illnesses does not guarantee lifelong immunity.
The CDC recommends that adults get a Tdap shot every 10 years . If someone has had a severe wound or burn, and it has been at least 5 years since their last Tdap, they should receive a Tdap shot. This is because there is a higher risk of bacteria entering the wound.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continuously monitor its safety and effectiveness.
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Is Whooping Cough Vaccination In Pregnancy Working
Yes, it is. Published research from the UK vaccination programme shows that vaccinating pregnant women against whooping cough has been highly effective in protecting young babies until they can have their first vaccination when they are 8 weeks old.
Babies born to women vaccinated at least a week before birth had a 91% reduced risk of becoming ill with whooping cough in their first weeks of life, compared to babies whose mothers had not been vaccinated.
An additional benefit is that the protection the mother receives from the vaccination will lower her own risk of infection and of passing whooping cough on to her baby.
Do Not Get This Vaccine If:
- Under 4 years of age. Children should receive DTaP vaccine instead, which contains a different dose for diphtheria immunity.
- A severe allergy or neurological reaction to a previous dose of a vaccine containing diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Signs of severe allergy include hives, swelling of the mouth and throat, wheezing, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, hypotension and shock.
- Allergies to any parts of the vaccine, including: aluminum phosphate, 2-phenoxyethanol, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde and glycine.
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Getting A Tdap Vaccine During Pregnancy Passes Protection To Your Baby
After receiving a Tdap vaccine, your body creates protective antibodies and passes some of them to your baby before birth. These antibodies provide your baby some short-term protection against whooping cough in early life. These antibodies can also protect your baby from some of the more serious complications, including hospitalization, that come along with getting whooping cough.
The recommended time to get the shot is during your 27ththrough 36th week of pregnancy, preferably during the earlier part of this time period.
Protective antibodies are at their highest about 2 weeks after getting the vaccine, but it takes time to pass them to your baby. So the preferred time to get a Tdap vaccine is early in your third trimester.
The amount of whooping cough antibodies in your body decreases over time. That is why CDC recommends you get a Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy, even if your pregnancies are only a year or two apart. Doing so allows each of your babies to get the greatest number of protective antibodies and best protection possible.
Vaccination Of Specific Populations
Persons with inadequate immunization records
Children and adults lacking adequate documentation of immunization should be considered unimmunized and started on an immunization schedule appropriate for their age and risk factors. There are no established serologic correlates for protection against pertussis. Refer to Immunization of Persons with Inadequate Immunization Records in Part 3 for additional general information.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
| Options | |
|---|---|
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The strongest safety and effectiveness data are from the third trimester. This option may not allow sufficient time for the development and transfer of maternal antibodies before delivery. Late immunization will not provide protection for most preterm births. There may be fewer clinical opportunities to offer vaccination in late pregnancy compared to earlier vaccination. |
Infants born prematurely
Patients/residents in health care institutions
Residents of long-term care facilities should receive all routine immunizations appropriate for their age and risk factors, including acellular pertussis-containing vaccine. Refer to Immunization of Patients in Health Care Institutions in Part 3 for additional general information.
Persons with chronic diseases
Travellers
Persons new to Canada
Workers
Outbreak control
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Who Shouldnt Get The Whooping Cough Vaccine
You should not receive a pertussis vaccine if youre allergic to any ingredient in the vaccine or have had a serious reaction to diphtheria, tetanus, or whooping cough vaccines in the past.
Before you receive your whooping cough vaccine, let your healthcare provider know if you:
- Have had a previous reaction to vaccines
- Have seizures or other nervous system problems
- Have had Guillain-Barre syndrome
If youre not feeling well, it might be a good idea to wait until you’re better to get your vaccine.
Who Should Get Tdap/td Vaccines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends Tdap vaccine for everyone starting at age 11 or 12 years with booster shots using Td vaccine through adulthood.
One dose of Tdap vaccine is recommended for:
- Kids aged 7 to 10 years who did not get all 5 doses of DTaP vaccine.
- Adolescents aged 11 to 18 years .
- Pregnant women need to get Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy, even if they’ve been vaccinated before. This gives moms more time to develop immunity to protect their baby against whooping cough, and she will pass some protection on to the baby. The best time for pregnant women to get the vaccine is as early as possible between 27 and 36 weeks of gestation .
- Adults aged 19 years of age and older, especially anyone in close contact with babies less than 12 months of age. Grandparents Protect your loved ones against flu and whooping cough Other languages available
- Healthcare workers who have direct patient contact.
After a person receives a single dose of Tdap vaccine, Td vaccine is recommended as a booster shot every 10 years as an adult. Tdap vaccine can be given in place of Td vaccine for these booster shots if the provider doesn’t have Td vaccine in stock.
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What Is The Tdap Vaccine
Tdap stands for tetanus , diphtheria, , and acellular pertussis . The Tdap vaccine became available in 2005 for older children and adults. Before 2005, there was no pertussis vaccine for anybody over 6 years of age.
Tdap is different than the DTaP vaccine , which is given to infants and children in five doses, starting at 2 months of age. Tdap is only for those above age 7.
Who Should Not Get The Vaccine
You should not receive the vaccine if you have had:
- A serious allergic reaction to any of the vaccine ingredients in the past
- A coma or seizures within a week of receiving childhood vaccinations for pertussis , unless the vaccine was not the cause Td can be used in these cases.
If you have had any of the following, talk to your doctor about whether the Tdap or Td vaccine is right for you:
- Epilepsy or another nervous system problem
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- A history of severe swelling or pain after receiving a pertussis, tetanus, or diphtheria vaccination in the past
- If you are moderately to severely ill the CDC says you can still get the vaccine if you have a mild illness such as a cold or low-grade fever.
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Do I Need The Whooping Cough Vaccine
In the United States, vaccination against whooping cough is recommended for people of all age groups. This include babies, children, teens, adults, and pregnant people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two vaccines to protect against whooping cough:
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis for babies and children under age 7
- Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis for older children and adults
How Effective Is The Whooping Cough Vaccine
The whooping cough vaccine is highly effective when people get all the recommended doses. In children, DTaP protects:
- About 98 out of 100 children for at least a year after the fifth shot.
- About 7 out of 10 children for five years after the fifth shot.
In adults, Tdap protects:
- About 7 in 10 people for the first year after the shot.
- About 4 in 10 people for four years after the shot.
When pregnant women get Tdap, the vaccine protects:
- More than 3 out of 4 babies from getting whooping cough in the first 2 months of life.
- About 9 out of 10 babies from getting severe whooping cough infections that require hospitalization.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Pertussis vaccines protect children, teens and adults from whooping cough. Whooping cough is a respiratory disease that causes uncontrollable coughing fits followed by a whoop sound. In babies, whooping cough can lead to severe complications. All children, adults and pregnant women should get the whooping cough vaccine. Young children receive the vaccine as a series of five shots before age 7. Starting around age 11 to 12, teens and adults receive a booster pertussis vaccine every 10 years.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 06/25/2021.
References
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Should Babies Who Cry Uncontrollably After Dtap Vaccine Receive Additional Doses
Babies who experience uncontrollable crying after the DTaP vaccine are considered to have a precaution to getting future doses of the vaccine, meaning that they can still receive future doses of the DTaP vaccine however, the relative risks and benefits should be discussed with the childs doctor before the vaccination is given.
Because pertussis, in particular, circulates in many parts of the country each year and young infants are most susceptible to complications from the disease, the relative benefits of the vaccine may still outweigh the risks. Previous experience has shown that in most cases, infants who experience inconsolable crying after the first dose of DTaP do not experience the same reaction after subsequent doses.
Blood Tests Cannot Tell If You Need A Tdap Vaccine
Experts do not know what level of whooping cough antibodies is needed to protect anyone, including babies, from getting sick. That is why CDC recommends all women get a Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy even women with some antibodies due to a previous infection or vaccine. The goal is to give each baby the greatest number of protective antibodies possible.
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Risk Of Pertussis By Age
Infants who are too young to be fully immunised have the highest risk of infection and severe illness.67 A high proportion of hospitalisations, and almost all deaths, from pertussis occur in this group.15,68
In highly immunised communities, pertussis can occur in adults and adolescents as a result of waning immunity.64,69 These people are a significant reservoir of infection. Household contacts and carers are often the source of infection in infants. Parents are the source in more than 50% of cases.29 Siblings are also a significant source of infant infections.4,5 Young infants can also acquire the disease from healthcare workers.23-26
In contrast to previous epidemics, during the 200811 epidemic period in Australia, notification rates were highest in children < 15 years of age. The proportion of notifications in older adolescents and adults was lower during this epidemic than in other epidemics. Pertussis notifications were notably higher for children between 3 and 9 years of age.65,66 More accessible and sensitive diagnosis with nucleic acid testing contributed to the rise in notified cases.70 Waning of immunity induced by pertussis-containing vaccine was also a factor .3,7,8,71 Although notification rates were higher in this epidemic, hospitalisation and death rates from pertussis were not substantially higher.72
People aged 65 years have higher rates of hospitalisation from pertussis than younger adults.65