Higher than usual rates of whooping cough (pertussis) have been seen in the last year across England.
More Information on whooping cough and its symptoms and management can be found here:
Whooping cough – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Whooping cough signs and symptoms | CDC
Protecting yourself against whooping cough
We recommend the whooping cough booster vaccine (dTap) to immunosuppressed patients who have never been vaccinated, or in the event of a local outbreak.
This vaccine is considered safe for immunosuppressed patients. Please speak with your GP for further advice.
Close contacts and people in your household should ensure they are up to date with their vaccinations, as vaccine efficacy in immunosuppressed patients can vary.
If you are on prophylactic Azithromycin you may have some protection against whooping cough.
If you have been contact with a confirmed case
If you have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed case of whooping cough, please contact your GP, or seek medical attention, as soon as possible.
You may be offered antibiotics as a precaution. Common antibiotics such as Azithromycin can be effective against whooping cough, especially if started early.
Measles Guidance for Patients
Higher than usual rates of measles have been seen in the last year across England.
More information on measles can be found here:
Measles signs and symptoms | CDC
Protecting yourself against measles
Please check if you have had the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine (at least 2 doses),or had measles in childhood.
The measles vaccine (MMR) is a live virus vaccine and is not suitable for transplant patients.
Close contacts and people in your household should ensure they are up to date with their MMR vaccination. Although this is a live vaccine, the attenuated (modified) virus in the vaccine cannot be transmitted to others (see more information on this here: ACIP Contraindications Guidelines for Immunization | CDC)
If you have been in contact with a confirmed case
People with suspected measles are most infectious 4 days before and 4 days after the onset of a measles rash.
If you have been in contact with a suspected or confirmed case, please get in touch with your healthcare team as soon as possible so you can be assessed urgently. You may be given immunoglobulin to offer some protection from infection.
Anyone with suspected measles must inform their healthcare team before coming to hospital and should not attend clinic. Your healthcare team will advise you of the appropriate next steps.