Whooping cough - the main points
The main points are that:
If you have been told that you have whooping cough and live with a child under one year old or a pregnant woman, you should contact the East Region Health Protection Team (ERHPT).
If you live with somebody who works with children under one year old or pregnant women, you should also contact the ERHPT.
The East Region Health Protection Team (ERHPT) is available on 0300 790 6264, Monday to Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm. The nurses or doctors in the team will advise what to do for your household and other close contacts and will check if you are on a suitable antibiotic. You must avoid contact with infants/ pregnant women until you have spoken to ERHPT.
If your whooping cough symptoms started within the last two weeks and you do not live or work with a child under one year old or a pregnant woman, and your household contacts do not work with children under one year old or pregnant women, you do not need to contact ERHPT. You should be treated with antibiotics and should stay off work/ school/ nursery until you have had 48 hours of antibiotic. For any enquiries about your treatment please contact your GP.
You also do no not need to contact ERHPT if your whooping cough symptoms started over 21 days ago.
Further information
Infants under one year who have not been fully vaccinated against whooping cough / pertussis are more vulnerable to developing severe illness following infection.
For that reason, people who belong to the following groups may need preventative antibiotics and immunisation following close contact with a person with whooping cough:
- healthcare workers who work with infants and pregnant women
- people whose work involves regular, close or prolonged contact with infants
- pregnant women at 32 weeks or more who have not already been vaccinated during the current pregnancy (and at least a week before contact with a case of whooping cough)
- infants under one year who have not had three doses of pertussis containing vaccine
Infectious period
People with whooping cough remain infectious for 48 hours after starting appropriate antibiotics, or (if they are not treated with appropriate antibiotics) for up to 21 days from the start of their cough. Anyone who has been diagnosed with whooping cough should not attend nursery/school/work and should avoid contact with others until they are no longer infectious.
Antibiotics
Effective antibiotics for the treatment and prevention of whooping cough include clarithromycin, erythromycin and co-trimoxazole (for 7 days). A shorter course of azithromycin (3 days) is sometimes indicated. The choice of antibiotics will depend on the patient’s individual circumstances. Other antibiotics (e.g. amoxicillin or doxycycline) are not effective against whooping cough.
Returning to normal activities
Provided they are then well enough, patients with whooping cough can return to normal activities once:
- They have been treated with antibiotics (clarithromycin, erythromycin, co-trimoxazole or azithromycin) for whooping cough for 48 hours, or
- Most people with whooping cough can return to work and socialising after 14 days from their cough starting, if they cover their mouth when coughing, as they may still be infectious to others.
- However, people with whooping cough who have not been treated with antibiotics should avoid pregnant mothers and young babies (less than one year old) for 21 days after the cough has started.
- If any other member of the household develops symptoms of whooping cough, they should get assessed by their GP and should avoid contact with others as set out above.
Health Protection Team contacts
Monday to Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm East Region Health Protection Team on 0300 790 6264
