Vaccination against whooping cough

Whooping cough (pertussis) can affect people of any age. In recent years, the number of reported cases of this serious respiratory tract infection has increased almost continuously in Switzerland. Among these reported cases, around one in six people was not vaccinated and one out of every four people had an unknown vaccination status. In the period from 2010 to 2014, an average of 8700 cases were reported annually. Currently, about 50 children are hospitalized every year due to whooping cough, most of them are infants.

According to the Swiss vaccination schedule, children should receive a total of 6 vaccine doses against whooping cough. Catch-up immunizations are recommended until the age of 15 years. In addition, a single pertussis vaccine (as booster or first vaccination) is recommended for all adults aged 25 to 29 years.

If you have any further questions or wish to receive more information, please contact your physician.