What the Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine protects against
A bacterial infection causing violent coughing fits that make it hard to breathe, often ending in a 'whoop'. In young babies it can cause pauses in breathing, pneumonia and death, sometimes without an obvious cough.
Also known as: the 'aP' in DTaP, the 100-day cough
Why children are given it
Young babies are most at risk and cannot be fully protected until they have had two or three doses, so vaccinating in pregnancy and on time in infancy both matter. Immunity fades, which is why boosters are given before school and in the teens.
From each country's official schedule, checked against its sources (last full check 2026-09-16). Tap a country for its whole schedule and a personalised timeline.
| Country | Routine doses |
|---|---|
| ๐ฌ๐ง United Kingdom | 8 weeks (1st of 4) 6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 12 weeks (2nd of 4) 6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 16 weeks (3rd of 4) 6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 18 months (4th of 4 (booster)) 6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 3 years 4 months (Pre-school booster)
4-in-1 pre-school booster (DTaP/IPV) |
| ๐บ๐ธ United States | 2 months (1st of 5) DTaP 4 months (2nd of 5) DTaP 6 months (3rd of 5) DTaP 15 to 18 months (4th of 5) DTaP 4 to 6 years (5th of 5) DTaP 11 to 12 years (Adolescent booster)
Tdap |
| ๐จ๐ฆ Canada | 2 months (1st of 3-4) DTaP-IPV-Hib (5-in-1) 4 months (2nd) DTaP-IPV-Hib (5-in-1) 6 months (3rd) DTaP-IPV-Hib (5-in-1) 18 months (4th (booster)) DTaP-IPV-Hib (5-in-1) 4 to 6 years (Pre-school booster) Tdap-IPV (4-in-1 pre-school booster) Grade 9 or 14-16 years (province dependent) (Adolescent booster)
Tdap booster |
| ๐ฆ๐บ Australia | 2 months (from 6 weeks) (1st of 3) Hexavalent (DTPa-hepB-IPV-Hib) 4 months (2nd of 3) Hexavalent (DTPa-hepB-IPV-Hib) 6 months (3rd of 3) Hexavalent (DTPa-hepB-IPV-Hib) 18 months (4th dose) DTPa (diphtheria-tetanus-whooping cough) 4 years (Pre-school booster) DTPa-IPV (4-in-1 booster) 12 to 13 years (school program) (Adolescent booster)
dTpa (diphtheria-tetanus-whooping cough) |
| ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | 6 weeks (1st of 4) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 10 weeks (2nd of 4) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 14 weeks (3rd of 4) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 18 months (4th of 4 (booster))
Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) booster |
| ๐ฎ๐ณ India | 6 weeks (1st of 3) Pentavalent (DTP-HepB-Hib) 10 weeks (2nd of 3) Pentavalent (DTP-HepB-Hib) 14 weeks (3rd of 3) Pentavalent (DTP-HepB-Hib) 16 to 24 months (Booster 1) DPT booster 1 5 to 6 years (Booster 2)
DPT booster 2 |
| ๐ท๐บ Russia | 3 months (1st of 3) DTP (ะะะะก - diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough) 4.5 months (2nd of 3) DTP (ะะะะก) 6 months (3rd of 3) DTP (ะะะะก) 18 months (1st revaccination)
DTP (ะะะะก) booster |
| ๐ฉ๐ช Germany | 2 months (1st of 2 (+1)) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 3 months (premature babies only) (Extra dose) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 4 months (2nd of 2 (+1)) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 11 months (3rd (booster)) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) booster 5 to 6 years (1st booster) Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-whooping cough) 12 to 14 years (2nd booster)
Tdap-IPV (tetanus-diphtheria-whooping cough-polio) |
| ๐ฎ๐ช Ireland | 2 months (1st of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 4 months (2nd of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 6 months (3rd of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 13 months (4th of 4 (booster)) 6-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) Junior infants (age 4-5, school) (Pre-school booster) 4-in-1 (DTaP/IPV) booster 1st year of secondary school (around 12-13) (Teen booster)
Tdap (diphtheria-tetanus-whooping cough) |
| ๐ณ๐ฟ New Zealand | 6 weeks (1st of 3) Infanrix hexa (DTaP-IPV-HepB/Hib) 3 months (2nd of 3) Infanrix hexa (DTaP-IPV-HepB/Hib) 5 months (3rd of 3) Infanrix hexa (DTaP-IPV-HepB/Hib) 4 years (Pre-school booster) Infanrix-IPV (DTaP-IPV) booster 11 to 12 years (school year 7-8) (Teen booster)
Boostrix (Tdap) |
| ๐ซ๐ท France | 2 months (1st of 2 (+ booster)) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 4 months (2nd of 2) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 11 months (Booster (3rd)) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) booster 6 years (Booster) DTaP-IPV booster 11 to 13 years (Booster)
dTcaP (reduced-dose tetanus-diphtheria-whooping cough-polio) |
| ๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands | Pregnancy (maternal) (In pregnancy (around 22 weeks)) Maternal whooping cough (given to the mother) 6 to 9 weeks (1st of 4) DKTP-Hib-HepB (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 3 months (2nd of 4) DKTP-Hib-HepB (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 5 months (3rd of 4) DKTP-Hib-HepB (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 12 months (4th of 4 (booster)) DKTP-Hib-HepB booster 5 years (age 4-5) (Pre-school booster)
DTaP booster (DKT) |
| ๐ง๐ท Brazil | 2 months (1st of 3) Penta (DTP-HepB-Hib) 4 months (2nd of 3) Penta (DTP-HepB-Hib) 6 months (3rd of 3) Penta (DTP-HepB-Hib) 15 months (1st booster) DTP booster 4 years (2nd booster)
DTP booster Also offered: dTpa in pregnancy - From 20 weeks of each pregnancy. Given to the mother to protect newborns from whooping cough before their own vaccines begin. |
| ๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore | 2 months (from 6 weeks) (1st of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 4 months (2nd of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 6 months (3rd of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 18 months (4th of 4 (booster)) 6-in-1 (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) booster Primary 5 (around 10-11 years, school) (School booster)
Tdap booster |
Good to know
- Young babies are most at risk from whooping cough and can stop breathing during coughing fits. They cannot be fully protected until they have had two or three doses.
- Many countries also offer the vaccine in pregnancy, so the mother passes protection to her baby before birth.
- Protection fades over time, which is why boosters are given before school and again in the teens.
Side effects: what is normal
- Soreness, redness or swelling where the injection was given.
- A mild fever and being a bit grumpy for a day or two.
- Pre-school boosters sometimes cause a larger area of swelling on the arm, which settles within a few days.
Most side effects are mild and pass within a day or two. Get medical advice straight away if your child has trouble breathing, swelling of the face or mouth, a fit, a temperature of 38°C or more in a baby under 3 months, or you are worried in any way. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Your doctor, nurse, health visitor or pharmacist can advise on your own child.
It depends on the country. Across the 14 countries that include it on their routine schedule, the first dose is given from Pregnancy (maternal) to 3 months. In the UK it is given at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 18 months, 3 years 4 months. In the US it is given at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, 4 to 6 years, 11 to 12 years. The table on this page shows every country.
Routine schedules give 4 to 6 doses in childhood, depending on the country and the product used. Combination vaccines can mean one injection counts towards several diseases.
Yes - all 14 countries on this site include it on their routine childhood schedule, although the ages and number of doses differ.
Yes. Vaccines on the childhood schedule are given by age, not by sex - girls and boys receive the same doses at the same ages.
It is almost never too late to catch up, and a missed dose rarely means starting again - your doctor or nurse will continue from where your child left off. A few vaccines (such as rotavirus) have upper age limits. Contact your clinic to book a catch-up appointment.
- United Kingdom - NHS / UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- United States - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / ACIP
- Canada - Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) / National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)
- Australia - Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care - National Immunisation Program (NIP)
- South Africa - National Department of Health - Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI-SA)
- India - Ministry of Health and Family Welfare - Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)
- Russia - Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation - National Preventive Vaccination Calendar
- Germany - Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute / ECDC
- Ireland - Health Service Executive (HSE) / National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC)
- New Zealand - Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora / Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC)
- France - Ministere de la Sante / Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) - calendrier vaccinal
- Netherlands - RIVM - National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Rijksvaccinatieprogramma)
- Brazil - Ministerio da Saude - Programa Nacional de Imunizacoes (PNI)
- Singapore - Ministry of Health (MOH) / Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) - National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (NCIS)
- NHS - Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine (side effects and more)
- NHS - NHS vaccinations and when to have them
- CDC - Possible side effects from vaccines
- WHO - Vaccines and immunization
How we research and check this information: our editorial policy.
More vaccine guides
MMR vaccine · Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine · 6-in-1 vaccine · Polio vaccine · Hib vaccine · Hepatitis B vaccine · Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) · Rotavirus vaccine · MenB vaccine · MenACWY and MenC vaccines · HPV vaccine · Children's flu vaccine · BCG (tuberculosis) vaccine · Hepatitis A vaccine · RSV protection for babies
All vaccines A to Z · Compare two countries · Moving country with a child