- Walk in on weekdaysDuring store hours, subject to pharmacist availability
- Ages 5 and upThe youngest age NSW pharmacists can give dTpa
- Free during pregnancyFunded for every pregnancy under the NIP
Why babies need the people around them protected
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a serious disease of the airways that can lead to pneumonia, brain damage and sometimes death. It can affect anyone, and it is especially serious for babies.
Young infants cannot be fully vaccinated straight away, and the Australian Immunisation Handbook notes that the source of infection in infants is often a household contact. That is why the adults closest to a new baby matter so much.
Children then receive their own free doses at 2, 4 and 6 months, 18 months and 4 years, plus an adolescent dose at 12 to 13 through school-based vaccination programs.
Vaccination during pregnancy
The Handbook recommends a single dose of dTpa in each pregnancy, preferably between 20 and 32 weeks of pregnancy, including pregnancies that are close together. Antibodies you make pass to your baby before birth. The dose costs nothing for pregnant women under the National Immunisation Program.
Missed that window? Have it as soon as you can, at any point up to delivery. A newborn may not be adequately protected if the dose is given within 2 weeks of birth. If you were vaccinated before 20 weeks, you do not need a repeat in the same pregnancy. The Handbook allows it at the same visit as the maternal RSV vaccine.
Adults who are due a booster
The Handbook advises a booster dose of dTpa for:
- adult household contacts and carers of babies under 6 months, at least 2 weeks before close contact, if their last dose was more than 10 years ago
- adults aged 65 and over who have not had dTpa in the past 10 years
- healthcare workers and early childhood educators, every 10 years
- travellers without a pertussis dose in a decade or more
Outside pregnancy, free doses at a NSW pharmacy are limited to catch-up vaccination for people aged 5 to 19 and to refugee and humanitarian entrants. Other adults pay for the vaccine, so call us on (02) 4930 4442 for the current price.
Your whooping cough vaccine in Abermain
There is no need to book. Ask at the counter and the pharmacist will check your last tetanus or whooping cough dose, your stage of pregnancy if relevant, and any allergies before giving the injection in the upper arm. You then wait nearby for at least 15 minutes, as the Handbook's after-vaccination guidance recommends, and the dose is added to your record on the Australian Immunisation Register.
Remember to bring: ID, your Medicare card (if applicable) and any vaccination records you hold.
Whooping cough vaccine questions
Can I have the vaccine while breastfeeding?
Yes, breastfeeding women can receive dTpa. If you were not vaccinated in pregnancy and it has been over a decade since your last dose, the Handbook advises vaccination soon after the birth, preferably before you leave hospital, and there can still be some benefit until your baby is 6 months old.
What reactions are normal afterwards?
Injection-site pain, redness or swelling and a mild fever are the most common. Occasionally a small lump forms at the injection site and lasts many weeks; it needs no treatment. Anyone who has had anaphylaxis after an earlier pertussis-containing vaccine should not have another.
For every other vaccine on offer, head to our Abermain vaccination services overview.
Protect the newest member of your family
Drop in to Abermain Chemist, 193 Cessnock Road, on any weekday. Ringing ahead lets you confirm a pharmacist immuniser is free when you plan to visit.