Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination

A letter explaining the change was issued in late May and further guidance for healthcare professionals at the end of June. Boostrix-IPV (dTaP/IPV) currently being used for the pertussis vaccination in pregnancy will be replaced by a non IPV-containing vaccine called Adacel (Tdap). vaccine called Adacel (Tdap). Maternity providers will remain the predominant source of vaccines for pregnant women, although some women may ask their GP for vaccination opportunistically. It is important to note that this will be a different vaccine to the one offered as part of the routine childhood immunisation programme so practices should order the relevant amount of Adacel stock through ImmForm. There is an IoS fee of £10.06 for all eligible vaccines given. Pregnant women are eligible from 16 weeks until birth, although vaccination between 20 and 32 weeks provides optimal protection. Further guidance regarding the GP catch up campaign which runs from 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025 are detailed in this letter, with additional resources for practices available here.

Some practices have been mis-coding vaccinations provided by maternity services as being provided by the practice themselves. For reference the correct codes are:

UKHSA has also issued guidance covering the recent increase in cases of pertussis, including national guidance on identification, management including antibiotic therapy as well as case notification. They have also provided this poster to explain to professionals which of the available vaccines should be given to pregnant mothers, which to children in the weeks after birth and which to children at the age of three years and four months.