This content relates to a former minister

Free whooping cough vaccine for every pregnant woman

The Australian Government will provide the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine to every pregnant woman in the country, protecting both baby and mother from this life-threatening disease.

The Hon Greg Hunt MP
Former Minister for Health and Aged Care

Media event date:
Date published:
Media type:
Media release
Audience:
General public

6 May 2018

The Turnbull Government will provide the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine to every pregnant woman in the country, protecting both baby and mother from this life-threatening disease.

The $39.5 million investment will mean the vaccine is added to the National Immunisation Program, guaranteeing its access, safety and availability for the first time.

Whooping cough is a terrible disease that can cause life-threatening complications, including pneumonia or brain damage. Babies in their first six months of life are most at risk.

Newborns cannot be vaccinated until six weeks of age and the most effective way to protect a baby against the disease is vaccination of the mother during pregnancy.

Whooping cough is a vaccine preventable disease and I urge all mums-to-be to get vaccinated.

I know what a devastating impact this disease can have on families and beautiful young children like Dana McCaffery and Riley Hughes.

There are now no barriers and no excuses for not protecting yourself, your family and the rest of the community.

The free vaccine will be available from 1 July 2018 for all pregnant women.

We will also undertake national public education and promotion of the vaccine, targeting pregnant women with evidence based information on the benefits of this vaccine for mother and baby.

According to the experts, getting vaccinated during the third trimester of pregnancy allows the mother to pass whooping cough antibodies to her baby, protecting them until they are old enough to receive the vaccine themselves.

Before listing this vaccine, medical experts from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation undertook an extensive investigation of this vaccine and determined it to be safe and effective.

The Government acted on the recommendations from both PBAC and ATAGI in making this vaccine available.

This is part of broader investment in immunisation, with Government funding of $460 million in vaccines and related activities through the NIP this year alone.

Further information about the National Immunisation Program is available at the Department of Health's website.

(ENDS)

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