What is Whooping Cough?

Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is an infectious disease that causes coughing and difficulty breathing. It can be very serious in young babies. They can catch whooping cough from family/whānau so make sure you, your older children and extended family are up-to-date with vaccinations. For some people they may be eligible to receive a funded vaccine. Your Unichem and Life Pharmacists are able to vaccinate you against whooping cough.

The whooping cough vaccination is free for  some people from some pharmacies. Vaccination is free for:

• pregnant women aged 13 years and above from 16 weeks

• all adults at 45 and 65 years of age as immunity reduces (same vaccine as the tetanus booster)

If you do not meet the above criteria then your Pharmacist is still able to vaccinate you against whooping cough if you are 18 years and older.

How infectious is whooping cough?

Whooping Cough in New Zealand: A National Epidemic

• One person with whooping cough can infect up to 17 others, making it highly contagious.

• New Zealand is currently experiencing a national whooping cough epidemic, with cases rising significantly since September 2024. Over 260 cases were reported in a single four-week period, impacting school communities, young babies, and older adults.

• Vaccination is the most effective way to protect against whooping cough and prevent its spread, especially during this outbreak.

• Infants in New Zealand get their full whooping cough immunisation around 5 months old.

• Boosters at ages of 4 and 11 are essential.

Infants under 1 year of age are particularly vulnerable and may require hospital care if infected. Since they are not fully immunised until 5 months old, ensuring adults and older children around them are vaccinated is critical. Protecting babies starts with you, get vaccinated today to help stop the spread.

When do I need a booster?

Our immunity to whooping cough reduces over time so we need a booster every 10 years to stay fully immunised. 

When did you last have your whooping cough booster vaccination?

In healthy adults whooping cough is often difficult to diagnose - you may think you just have persistent cough (often referred to as a 100-day cough). Not being protected yourself means you could easily pass on this highly contagious disease without knowing you had it in the first place. The great news is that trained vaccinating Pharmacists at Unichem are able to provide one booster vaccination that covers diptheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough).

Living Rewards members receive 10 Living Rewards points when they receive a Boostrix Vaccination.