pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

What is Pertussis?

Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can be spread by coughing. People with pertussis have severe coughing attacks that can last for months. Infants too young for vaccination are at greatest risk for life-threatening cases of pertussis.

Symptoms of Pertussis

At first, whooping cough seems like a common cold but gets worse fast.
Early symptoms usually include:

Runny or stuffed-up nose
Low-grade fever (less than 100.4°F) or no fever
Mild cough

After 1–2 weeks, people may have coughing fits that can last up to 10 weeks. Babies may have pauses in breathing or struggle to breathe. Vaccinated people can get pertussis but may not get as sick.

Vaccine Recommendations

Pregnant people should receive Tdap vaccine (whooping cough booster) at the earliest opportunity in their 3^rd trimester (between 27–36 weeks) of every pregnancy. Vaccination during pregnancy helps pass on protective antibodies to the baby before birth.
Babies and children should receive a dose of DTaP (whooping cough vaccines) at 2, 4, 6, and 15 months as well as 4–6 years of age. Children need a total of 5 doses to be protected from severe pertussis.
Preteens and teens ages 11 years and older should receive a dose of Tdap
Adults should receive at least one dose of Tdap

Why is Vaccination Important

Newborns are at highest risk for complications. Getting Tdap during pregnancy is the only way to protect your baby before birth. When given during pregnancy, Tdap is approximately 90% effective in preventing infant hospitalizations.
Vaccines work very well at preventing severe pertussis, but protection from vaccines wanes over time. It’s important that children, adolescents, and adults stay up to date on their vaccines to ensure they are protected.

Make sure you and your family are up to date on your whooping cough vaccines. Learn more:

Child care facilities and schools with low vaccination rates are at increased risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Lookup vaccination rates:
Child Care/Preschool | Kindergarten | 7th Grade