General Vaccinations

What the whooping cough vaccine is for

The whooping cough vaccine protects your baby against whooping cough.

Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is a disease that can be very serious for babies. It’s a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the lungs and airways. It can last for 2 to 3 months.

Babies and young children are at increased risk of complications from whooping cough. It can be very serious, and lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage. In the worst cases, whooping cough can be life threatening.

Read more about whooping cough and its symptoms

Who can get the whooping cough vaccine

In Scotland, the whooping cough vaccine is offered to everyone who is pregnant.

If you’re pregnant, you’ll be offered the vaccine from week 16 of your pregnancy.

It’s better to get the whooping cough vaccine as soon as possible. The sooner you get the vaccine, the more time there is for you to pass antibodies to your baby.

When you get the whooping cough vaccine, your body makes antibodies. These are what your body uses to fight whooping cough. These antibodies will transfer from you to your unborn baby through the placenta. This means that your baby will have some protection from whooping cough as soon as they’re born.

The protection you receive from the vaccine will also lower your own risk of getting whooping cough and passing it to your baby.

Read more about the routine vaccinations offered to babies

If you’ve had whooping cough before

Even if you’ve had whooping cough before, you need the vaccine to help protect your baby.

Getting the whooping cough vaccine is the best way to protect your baby from whooping cough.

If you’ve had the whooping cough vaccine before

You may have had a vaccine against whooping cough before. This could have been when you were a child or during a previous pregnancy. The immunity you develop from being vaccinated wears off over time.

This means you’ll need to have the vaccine every time you’re pregnant. It’s the best way to protect your baby from getting ill from whooping cough.

If you have a new-born baby but were not immunised when pregnant

If you did not get your whooping cough vaccine when you were pregnant, speak to your midwife or health visitor. You may be offered the vaccine if your baby has not yet had their vaccinations at 8 weeks old.

About the whooping cough vaccine

Most people in Scotland will receive the ADACEL vaccine to help protect against whooping cough.

This vaccine protects against 3 different diseases:

• whooping cough (pertussis)
• diphtheria
• tetanus

There is no whooping cough only vaccine currently available.

If you cannot have the ADACEL whooping cough vaccine, an alternative vaccine (Boostrix-IPV or REPEVAX) may be suitable. Your midwife will be able to advise about which vaccine is right for you.

Read more about vaccine ingredients in the patient information leaflets:

• ADACEL suspension for injection in pre-filled syringe vaccine
• Boostrix-IPV
• REPEVAX

The vaccine cannot cause whooping cough

The vaccine cannot cause whooping cough

The vaccine cannot cause whooping cough

The whooping cough vaccine is not a live vaccine. It cannot cause you or your baby to contract whooping cough. It’s the safest and most effective way to protect your baby from whooping cough.

You need 1 dose of the whooping cough vaccine

You only need 1 dose of the whooping cough vaccine for you and your baby to be fully protected. This is the same even if you’re expecting more than one baby.

You’ll need to get 1 dose of the whooping cough vaccine every time you’re pregnant.

The whooping cough vaccine protects

Getting the vaccine is an effective way of protecting you and your baby from whooping cough. A whooping cough vaccine has been offered in Scotland since 2012.

The vaccine offers around 90% protection against death from whooping cough in babies under 3 months of age.

Vaccine safety

All medicines (including vaccines) are tested for safety and effectiveness before they’re allowed to be used. Their safety continues to be monitored once in use. The vaccine meets the high safety standards required to be used in the UK and other European countries.

RSV vaccine during pregnancy

If you’re pregnant, you’ll be offered the RSV vaccine. It will help protect your baby against serious illness from RSV infection.

What the RSV vaccine is for

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine is offered during pregnancy. It helps protect your baby against serious illness caused by RSV infection.

RSV is a common respiratory virus. In most people it causes a mild illness with cold-like symptoms. It’s highly infectious and spreads easily when people with the virus cough or sneeze.

In Scotland, RSV is the most common reason that babies are admitted to hospital with respiratory (breathing) problems.

Those who are at highest risk of severe illness from RSV infection include:

• premature babies
• newborn babies (particularly in the first 6 months)
• children under 2 years with conditions that affect their heart, breathing or immune system

Older children and adults can also get infected with RSV. The disease is more serious for young babies.

RSV infection is more common in winter, but can happen at any time of year.

Who can get the RSV vaccine

You’ll be offered the RSV vaccine if you’re pregnant. It’ll help protect your baby against serious illness from RSV infection.

During pregnancy, you can get the RSV vaccine from 28 weeks. Having the RSV vaccine at this time means that your baby is protected even if they’re born early.

You should not get the RSV vaccine if you’re less than 28 weeks pregnant.

If you did not get the RSV vaccine at 28 weeks, you can still get it later in your pregnancy. It’ll still protect you from infection and reduce the risk of passing RSV infection to your newborn baby.

The best way to protect your baby from serious illness is getting all recommended vaccines at the right time.

Read more about the vaccines offered during pregnancy

About the RSV vaccine

The Abrysvo vaccine is offered in Scotland. It’s usually given as an injection in your upper arm.

The Abrysvo vaccine is not a live vaccine. It does not cause RSV infection.

There are very few people who cannot have the RSV vaccine.

You should not get the vaccine if you’ve had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to:

• any of the vaccine ingredients
• a previous dose of the same vaccine

You can view the ingredients in the Abrysvo vaccine patient information leaflet.

It’s important to tell the person giving you the vaccine if you:

• have ever had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to anything
• are receiving medicines, treatment or therapy at a hospital or specialist clinic

You need 1 dose of the RSV vaccine

You only need 1 dose of the RSV vaccine, even if you’re having multiple births (like twins or triplets).

If you get pregnant again in the future, you’ll need to get another dose of the vaccine at that time.

How the RSV Vaccine Works

The RSV vaccine boosts your immune system, which then produces more antibodies against the virus. These antibodies then pass through the placenta to your baby. This helps protect your baby from the day they are born.

The vaccine helps protect your baby

The vaccine has been shown to reduce the chance of your baby becoming very ill from RSV.

Like all medicines, no vaccine is 100% effective. If you have the vaccine, your baby may still get RSV. However, their RSV infection should be less severe.

If you get the RSV vaccine during pregnancy, the chance of your baby developing a serious infection caused by RSV reduces by over 80%.

The RSV vaccine has a good safety record

In a clinical trial of almost 4,000 women, the vaccine had a good safety record. It’s now been approved by medicines regulators in the UK, Europe and the USA. Many thousands of women have since had the vaccine in national programmes. This includes more than 100,000 women in the USA.

The clinical trial compared pregnant women who received the vaccine with those that had not. Slightly more babies were born early in the group that had the vaccine than in the group who had not had the vaccine. It’s thought that this difference is due to chance, and that there is not a link between vaccination and early birth. However, this is why the vaccine is being given from 28 weeks rather than earlier in your pregnancy.

Overall, it’s still safer for you and your baby to have the vaccine than to risk your baby getting an RSV infection.

All medicines (including vaccines) are tested for safety, quality and effectiveness before they’re allowed to be used. Once they’re in use, the safety of vaccines continues to be carefully monitored.

How to get the RSV vaccine

You should be offered the RSV vaccine around your 28 week antenatal appointment.

Speak to your midwife to find out the local arrangements for vaccination. They’ll be able to advise you on how to get your vaccine.

Read more about other vaccines offered in pregnancy

Flu vaccine

Influenza (flu) is an infectious virus and can be serious. Symptoms may include a fever, a cough, a headache and tiredness. The virus spreads through the air when people cough or sneeze, or when they touch surfaces where the virus has landed then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. You can catch flu all year round, but it’s especially common in winter. It can be serious, even if you’re healthy.

The flu vaccine

The flu vaccine is the safest and most effective way to help protect against flu. It’ll also help reduce the risk of spreading flu to others.

The flu vaccine is available between September and March.

Why should I get vaccinated?

The flu vaccine has a good safety record. It gives the best protection against flu. It’s offered every year for free by the NHS to help protect people at risk of flu and its complications.

The vaccine helps protect against the main types of flu viruses. But there’s still a chance you might get flu after having the vaccine. If you do get flu, it’s likely to be milder and not last as long if you’ve received the flu vaccine.

Having the flu vaccine can also stop you spreading flu to other people who may be more at risk of complications and serious illness if they catch flu.

You have to get immunised every year because flu viruses change constantly and your immunity reduces over time.

The flu vaccine can’t give you flu, but it can stop you catching it.

Vaccine safety

All medicines (including vaccines) are tested for safety and effectiveness before they’re allowed to be used.

Once they’re in use, the safety of vaccines continues to be monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Vaccination to help protect against mpox (monkeypox)

Mpox (monkeypox) is a rare viral infection that usually causes a high temperature (fever) and a body rash that lasts a few weeks.

The risk of getting mpox in Scotland is low.

Who is offered the mpox vaccine?

The vaccine is recommended for people whose sexual networks mean they are more likely to come into contact with mpox. These include:

• gay, bisexual, men who have sex with men (GBMSM), those who have multiple partners, take part in group sex, attend sex on premises venues, or have had a bacterial STI such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea or syphilis in the past year
• some trans and non-binary people who are in similar sexual networks to GBMSM
• some healthcare workers in high-risk settings where they may care for a patient with mpox

How many doses will be offered?

A full course of 2 doses of vaccine given at least 28 days apart is recommended for those at risk of mpox exposure.

Where can I get the vaccine?

If you’re eligible, some specialist sexual health clinics are offering the MVA vaccine.

Find my nearest sexual health service

Healthcare workers at higher risk will be offered the vaccine from their employer.

The vaccine

Mpox is caused by a virus similar to the one that causes smallpox. So vaccines designed for smallpox are expected to prevent or reduce the severity of mpox.

The vaccine used in Scotland contains a virus that’s been modified so that it cannot grow in the human body. This Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine is a much safer form of the smallpox vaccine. MVA vaccines do not contain smallpox virus and cannot spread or cause smallpox.

The MVA (Imvanex) vaccine has been authorised for immunisation against mpox as well as smallpox by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

As there is no UK branded vaccine available, you may be offered the US labeled equivalent of the MVA (Imvanex) vaccine, which is called Jynneos. This is the same vaccine as Imvanex and is also approved for mpox.

Read the IMVANEX patient information leaflet

Read the JYNNEOS patient information leaflet

The vaccine helps the immune system (the body’s natural defence system) produce its own protection in the form of antibodies against the smallpox virus.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommend the MVA vaccine to help prevent mpox.

Vaccines are recommended to protect against disease. After vaccination, you should continue to be aware of the risks and symptoms of mpox.

How is the vaccine given?

Most vaccines are given by injection into the muscle of the upper arm (intramuscular) or the tissue just above it (subcutaneous).

Some vaccines can also be injected into the upper layer of the skin. This is known as intradermal vaccination. This is how the MVA vaccine to protect against mpox may be given.

Is the vaccine safe?

MVA vaccines meet the required standards of safety and effectiveness. Vaccine safety continues to be monitored once it’s in use.

Are there any reasons I can’t have the vaccine?

You should not have the vaccine if you’ve previously had a sudden life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to either:

• a previous dose of the MVA vaccine
• any ingredient of the vaccine, including those present in very small amounts such as chicken protein, benzonase, gentamicin or ciprofloxacin

It’s also important to tell the person giving you the vaccine if you:

• have a high temperature
• have atopic dermatitis (atopic eczema)
• are living with HIV or any other condition or treatment leading to a weakened immune system
• are pregnant, planning to have a baby or breastfeeding

You can also let them know if you:

• have a minor infection such as a cold
• are taking or have recently taken any other medicines
• have recently received any other vaccine

You can be given this vaccine even if you’ve received a smallpox vaccination in the past. But you may be at increased risk of side effects, so speak to the person giving you your vaccine.

Are there any side effects?

Like all medicines, the vaccine can cause side effects, but not everybody gets them. The common side effects are:

• a headache
• aching muscles
• nausea
• tiredness
• chills
• fever
• joint pain, pain in the extremities (hands and feet)
• loss of appetite
• pain, redness, swelling, hardness, itching, discolouration, a lump or bruising at the injection site

Around 1 in 10 people may have chills and fever, but these should not last more than a few days. If you experience any of these side effects, you should rest and take paracetamol. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not take medicines containing aspirin if you’re under 16.

The most common side effects reported are at the site of injection. Most are mild to moderate in nature and cleared without any treatment within 7 days.

If you have atopic dermatitis (atopic eczema), you may experience:

• more intense skin reactions such as redness, swelling and itching
• other general symptoms such as headache, muscle pain, feeling sick or tired
• a flare-up or worsening of your skin condition

Can I pay for an MVA vaccine privately or at a pharmacy?

No, the MVA vaccination is only available through the NHS to eligible groups and it’s a free vaccination.

If you have been exposed to mpox

If you’ve had significant contact with someone with mpox, you may also be offered the vaccine. This includes healthcare workers in high-risk settings, who are caring for someone with confirmed mpox.

The vaccine is most effective when given within 4 days from the date of exposure. However, it can be given up to 14 days after exposure if you’re at high risk of ongoing exposure or at risk of more severe disease. This may reduce your symptoms but may not prevent disease.

Two doses are recommended for longer term protection against mpox. The second dose can be given at least 28 days after the first.

Are there side effects of the intradermal vaccination?

Common side effects after intradermal vaccination are:

• mild fever and tiredness
• moderate redness, swelling and itching at the injection site

Around a third of people who get the intradermal vaccination may develop a small dark mark at the injection site for some months.

This information is only a guide. If you’re concerned about any side effects, speak to your health professional or phone NHS 24 on 111 for free.