Whooping cough (pertussis) sounds quaint until you see what it does to a six-week-old baby, weeks of paroxysmal coughing, apnoea, hospitalisation, occasionally death. Vaccine-induced immunity wanes over time, so adults need booster doses to protect themselves and, more importantly, the newborns around them.
The cocoon strategy
Babies aren’t fully protected by their own vaccinations until around four months of age. The cocoon strategy is simple: vaccinate the people who will hold the baby, parents, grandparents, siblings over the age of 10, regular carers, so the baby is surrounded by immune adults.
In pregnancy
A single dTpa dose between 20 and 32 weeks of every pregnancy, regardless of how recently you’ve been boosted otherwise. Antibodies cross the placenta and give the baby protection from birth. This is the single most effective intervention for preventing severe pertussis in newborns.
The 10-year adult booster
Outside pregnancy, adults benefit from a dTpa booster every 10 years. It is the same combined vaccine that contains diphtheria and tetanus components, useful in its own right.
Where to get it
Pharmacist immunisers can administer dTpa to anyone aged 16 and over under current Victorian scope of practice. It is free under the National Immunisation Program for pregnant people and parents of newborns. For others, it is a private vaccine.
Sources & further reading
General information only. This article is educational and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Your immuniser will confirm eligibility and contraindications on the day.
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