Older News  » Whooping cough alert

Last updated 10:56 AM on 15 September 2011




Boosters are important

Whooping cough boosters are important for older children at four years and later in high school because immunity fades with time. This means that children and adults can still get the infection even if they've been immunised against the disease.


Whooping cough starts like a cold with a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a mild fever and an occasional cough. The cough usually gets worse and severe bouts of uncontrollable coughing develop. This can be followed by vomiting, choking or taking big gasping breaths which causes the "whooping" sound.

The cough can last for many weeks and can be worse at night. Some older children and adults just get a cough that doesn't go away and they may not get any of the other symptoms.

Whooping cough is highly infectious in the first three weeks and can spread easily through families, childcare centres and schools. General practitioners can test for whooping cough and treat early infections to reduce spread to other people.

Avoid contact with babies

Anyone who is infectious with whooping cough should avoid contact with babies and stay at home from work, school or childcare until they are no longer at risk of passing the infection on.

For a limited time, a free adult booster is still available for new parents and other adults who care for babies up to 12 months of age. New parents can get their booster from their general practitioner.

Find out more information about whooping cough.