Whooping Cough Vaccination Service

The whooping cough vaccine is safe and effective and helps protect against whooping cough, which can be severe in young children. You can help protect yourself and your loved ones from this disease by getting vaccinated.

Whooping Cough Vaccination Service

Next-day appointments available

Book an appointment at one of our branches for next-day service.

About whooping cough

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the respiratory system. It usually starts with cold-like symptoms and progresses to severe coughing spells. Whooping cough can be dangerous in infants and young children, but most people can recover with early treatment.

Vaccination is the best way to prevent whooping cough, and keeping up-to-date with your vaccines is essential. The NHS offers free whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women in the UK from around week 16 of pregnancy, and you can arrange this via the GP or midwife.

Who can have the whooping cough vaccine?

At Midway Pharmacy, our whooping cough vaccination service is suitable for adults and children who: 

  • Are pregnant (second and third trimester)

  • Are at least three years old with unknown vaccination status or incomplete vaccination

  • Haven’t had an allergic reaction to a vaccine before

  • Haven't had a temperature in the 24 hours leading up to the appointment

How this service works

  • Select your preferred service option and book an appointment

  • Follow the link in your booking confirmation email to fill out the patient questionnaire (at least 12 hours before your appointment)

  • One of our prescribers will review the completed questionnaire and contact you to discuss this

  • Visit the branch at the selected date and time to receive the vaccine

Available service option

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, email our customer care team or chat with us.

  • Whooping Cough Vaccine

    £110 per patient

    Whooping Cough vaccine is usually available for free to pregnant women in the UK from around week 16 of pregnancy and this can be arranged via the GP or midwife.

Prefer to book this service over the phone?

Call us on 0113 322 9984

What our customers think

5 out of 5 stars

Vaccinations all given professionally plus lots of useful medical advice given for our holiday.

Andy Boothroyd

5 out of 5 stars

Offered me a blood pressure check which I happily accepted. Attended on the same day. Asked if it were possible to pay for a flu jab (I’m not eligible yet) and got that at the same time! Excellent!! Very polite and helpful.

Penny Speers

5 out of 5 stars

Professional and conscientious staff. Mehwish did a great job syringing my ears, thanks 😊

Thomas Francos

5 out of 5 stars

I booked the ear syringing service at Midway Pharmacy in Morley through the online booking system. Really friendly and professional service from Sharon. I’m really grateful to be able to hear properly again. The treatment only took a few minutes and Sharon is clearly really well trained at what she does. Thank you again.

Paul Mcgrath

Rating
4.6
99 reviews
View all reviews

Frequently asked questions

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, email our customer care team or chat with us.

    • What is whooping cough?

      Whooping cough (or pertussis) is a severe infection that causes long bouts of coughing and choking, making breathing hard. The "whoop" is caused by gasping for breath after each bout of coughing, though babies do not always make this noise.

    • Why are pregnant women advised to have the whooping cough vaccine?

      Getting vaccinated while pregnant is highly effective in protecting your baby from developing whooping cough in the first few weeks of their life.

      The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta and provide passive protection until they are old enough to be routinely vaccinated against whooping cough at eight weeks old.

    • 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. 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 it would help protect you from whooping cough and passing it on to your baby.

    • Is the whooping cough vaccine safe in pregnancy?

      Pertussis-containing vaccine (whooping cough vaccine) has been used routinely in pregnant women in the UK since October 2012. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) carefully monitors its safety. The MHRA's study of around 20,000 vaccinated women has found no evidence of risks to pregnancy or babies.

      To date, around 69% of eligible pregnant women have received the whooping cough vaccine, with no safety concerns being identified in the baby or mother.

      Many other countries, including the US, Argentina, Belgium, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, recommend vaccination against whooping cough in pregnancy.

    • 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 effectively protected young babies until they can have their first vaccination when they are eight weeks old.

    • Which whooping cough vaccine will I be given?

      As there is no whooping cough-only vaccine, the vaccine you'll be given also protects against polio, diphtheria and tetanus. The vaccine is called Boostrix IPV.

    • What are the side effects of the whooping cough vaccine?

      You may have mild side effects such as swelling, redness or tenderness for a few days when the vaccine is injected into your upper arm, just as you would with any vaccine. Other side effects can include fever, irritation at the injection site, swelling of the vaccinated arm, loss of appetite, irritability and headache. Serious side effects are extremely rare.

    • Should I be concerned about whooping cough?

      Whooping cough is a highly infectious, serious illness that can lead to pneumonia and brain damage, particularly in young babies. Most babies with whooping cough will need hospital treatment, and they may die when it is very severe.

    • Are babies vaccinated against whooping cough to protect them?

      Yes, they are, but the babies getting whooping cough are generally too young to have started their usual vaccinations, so they are not protected against the disease.

    • How can I protect my baby from whooping cough?

      The only way you can help protect your baby from whooping cough in the first few weeks after birth is by having the whooping cough vaccination yourself while pregnant.

      After vaccination, your body produces antibodies to protect against whooping cough. You will then pass some immunity to your unborn baby.

    • Will the whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy give me whooping cough?

      No. The whooping cough vaccine is not a "live" vaccine. This means it does not contain whooping cough (polio, diphtheria or tetanus) and cannot cause whooping cough in you or your baby.

    • Will my baby still need to be vaccinated at 8 weeks if I've had the whooping cough vaccine while pregnant?

      Yes. Whenever you have the whooping cough vaccine, your baby will still need to be vaccinated according to the routine NHS vaccination schedule when they reach eight weeks old. Babies are protected against whooping cough by the 6-in-1 vaccine.

    • Can I have the whooping cough vaccine at the same time as the flu jab?

      Yes, you can have the whooping cough vaccine when you get the flu vaccine, but do not delay your flu jab so that you can have both at the same time.

    • As a child, I was vaccinated against whooping cough; do I need to get vaccinated again?

      Yes, because any protection you may have had through whooping cough or being vaccinated when you were young is likely to have worn off and will not provide sufficient protection for your baby.

    • I was vaccinated against whooping cough in a previous pregnancy, do I need to be vaccinated again?

      Yes, you should get re-vaccinated from 16 weeks in each pregnancy to maximise protection for your baby.

    • How do I spot whooping cough in my baby?

      Be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough, which include severe coughing fits that may be accompanied by difficulty breathing (or pauses in breathing in young infants) or vomiting after coughing and the characteristic "whoop" sound.

      If you are worried your baby may have whooping cough, contact your doctor immediately.

    • Where is this service available?

      This service is available in our branches, which are commutable from anywhere in Yorkshire, including Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, York, Huddersfield, Sheffield, Barnsley, Hull, Doncaster, Ripon, Harrogate, Dewsbury, Keighley and Scarborough.

    • Are next-day appointments available?

      Yes, you can get next-day appointments at all our branches. Contact our customer care team if you cannot find an available slot.

Ready to book this service?

Next-day appointments are available at our branches.