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Whooping Cough (pertussis) |
| Vaccine-Preventable Diseases |
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Whooping cough is a serious disease caused by bacteria. It is called whooping cough because of the "whoop" heard when a person who has it gasps for breath. Whooping cough is also known as pertussis. |
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Whooping cough is spread through the air by coughing and sneezing. It is very contagious. |
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Whooping cough can trigger coughing so severe that it results in vomiting and broken ribs. The cough can last for weeks or months. More than half of babies younger than one year old who get whooping cough are hospitalized. Babies are the most likely to die from whooping cough or have complications such as seizures and brain damage. |
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Whooping cough is most dangerous for babies, but anyone can become seriously ill from it. |
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You can protect yourself (and others) by getting vaccinated. |
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| Whooping Cough Vaccine Schedule |
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infants, children, and teens
should be vaccinated against
whooping cough. The vaccine for
infants and children is combined
with diphtheria and tetanus
vaccine as DTaP. The schedule is
4 doses at 2, 4, 6 and 15–18
months of age. A DTaP booster
dose is recommended at 4–6
years. The adolescent and adult
vaccine is called Tdap. A dose
of Tdap is recommended for all
adolescents at 11–12 years of
age. Pregnant women need a dose
of Tdap in the third trimester
of every pregnancy to protect
themselves and to transfer
pertussis immunity to their
newborn infant. Adults who have
not had Tdap should get a dose
of Tdap to protect themselves,
then a Tdap or Td booster every
10 years thereafter. |
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| Trusted Websites |
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| Whooping Cough (pertussis) |
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| Find fact sheets for parents and children, resources, multimedia, and more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
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Video Library |
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| Pertussis Vaccination? My Story: Whooping cough is a dangerous disease that can be catastrophic for infants. This is one mother's story of the tragic loss of her infant son Abe from whooping cough (pertussis) and her heart wrenching message to the community. |
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| >> view all whooping cough videos |
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| Personal Testimonies |
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| Stories of suffering and loss from whooping cough |
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| More Whooping Cough Information |
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| Vaccines and Your Baby
(VEC) |
| Brochure for parents about childhood immunizations, explains how vaccines work, answers common questions about vaccines, and lists additional resources |
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| This page was updated
on December 10, 2021. |
| This page was reviewed
on July 1, 2021. |
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Immunize.org • 2136 Ford Parkway • Suite 5011 • Saint Paul, Minnesota • 55116 |
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tel 651-647-9009 • fax 651-647-9131 |
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Immunize.org (IAC), a non-profit organization, works to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by creating and distributing educational materials for health professionals and the public that enhance delivery of safe and effective immunization services. IAC also facilitates communication about the safety, efficacy, and use of vaccines within the broad immunization community of patients, parents, healthcare organizations, and government health agencies. |
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