Whooping cough (Pertussis) – Information for cases and their families | NHS Fife (2024)

Key Points: 

• 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 therefore not attend nursery/school/work and should avoid contact with others until they are no longer infectious.

Provided they are then well enough, they can return to normal activities once:

• They have been treated with antibiotics 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 1 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.

When and how to take action

1. Do you, or anyone in your household, have contact (at work or socially) with pregnant women or babies of less than one year old?

If the answer to this question is Yes - please contact the Health Protection Team for further advice.

If the answer to this question isNo - please go to question 2 below.

2. Did your cough begin less than two weeks ago?

If the answer to this question is Yes - you may benefit from antibiotics. Please speak to your GP or NHS24 by telephoning 111.

Only return to work/socialising after you have had the cough for two weeks, or antibiotics for 48 hours - whichever is sooner.

If the answer to this question isNo - you are probably too late for antibiotics, but your cough may last for several more weeks - you do not need to self isolate.

When to Call Public Health:

This information is only relevant if you (or your child who has whooping cough) have had a cough or other symptoms for less than 21 days. If symptoms have been present for more than 21 days you do not need to take any further action.

Infants under 1 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 woman at 32 weeks or more
• infants under 1 year who have NOT had 3 doses of pertussis containing vaccine

If people from any of the above categories live with you (or with your child, if it is your child who has whooping cough) please call the East Region Health Protection Team (ERHPT) during office hours (9.00am - 6.00pm Monday – Friday) or your local HPT over the weekend. They 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 symptoms started within the last two weeks and neither yourself nor the people you live with fall into the above risk groups, you do not need to contact ERHPT. You should be treated with antibiotics and should stay off of work/ school/ nursery until you have had 48 hours of antibiotic. For any enquiries about your treatment please contact your GP.

Health Protection Team contacts

Monday to Friday 09.00 – 18.00 East Region Health Protection Team on 0300 790 6264 or email eos.eastregionhpt@nhs.scot

Saturday and Sunday 09.00 – 18.00 contact either NHS Borders, NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley or NHS Lothian switchboard and ask for Public Health On Call

• NHS Borders Switchboard: 01896 826000
• NHS Fife Switchboard: 01592 643355
• NHS Forth Valley Switchboard: 01324 566000
• NHS Lothian Switchboard: 0131 536 1000

If you need this information in another language, please call 0300 790 6264 Monday to Friday 09.00 – 18.00 and say your name, your phone number and your language. We will call you back with an interpreter.