@healthnewzealand: Whooping cough is a serious illness anyone can catch, but it's babies most at risk. Around 50% of babies that get whooping cough before 12 months old need hospitalisation, and 1 or 2 in 100 of those hospitalised babies will pass away. Protect your baby by getting immunised from 13 weeks of pregnancy, then get baby immunised from 6 weeks old, 3 months and 5 months. If you're going to be around a newborn, get a booster.