Around this time of year, there’s coughing practically around every corner. Kids are hacking away at the table next to you in restaurants. Fellow shoppers are barking down the grocery aisles. Most coughs are short-lived and more of a nuisance than anything. Others linger much longer and can be downright exhausting. One type of cough that can be especially concerning for parents is caused by pertussis (also called “whooping cough”).
You probably already know that pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the airways. It spreads like other upper respiratory infections when an infected person coughs or sneezes. But here are 10 important pertussis tidbits you may not know that just might help you and your loved ones be better protected this season.
1. Whooping cough has been making a dangerous comeback in the past decade.
In the United States, pertussis used to kill about 9,000 people each year, until a vaccine became available across the country in the 1940s. Now, less than 30 on average die from pertussis, thanks to the pertussis vaccine. But in recent years, the number of pertussis cases has started to rise again.
In 2014, nearly 33,000 U.S. cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Around the world, an estimated 16 million pertussis cases — yes, 16 million — are reported and about 195,000 children die every year.
2. A pertussis cough can sound a lot different than other coughs.
It’s known as “whooping cough” because of the unsettling “whooping” sound that infected older children, teens and adults often make when they gasp for air at the end of a coughing fit. Although many infants and younger kids with whooping cough develop the coughing fits and the accompanying “whoop,” not all do. But once you hear that distinctive, disturbing “whooping” cough — especially if it’s coming out of your little one’s lungs — it’s hard to forget it.
3. Whooping cough has the most serious effect on babies (especially those under 6 months old).
Infants can develop severe and potentially life-threatening complications (like pneumonia, dehydration, difficulty breathing and apnea — when they briefly stop breathing). Infants are particularly vulnerable to the infection because they usually don’t get their first dose of the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine until they’re 2 months old — and they only get two more shots before their first birthday. In all, children routinely get the vaccine in five doses before they’re 6 years old, followed by a combination booster shot (Tdap) at 11–12 years old for additional protection.
So there’s a whole lot of time during the infant, toddler and preschool years when kids aren’t fully protected.
And, although it most severely affects babies, pertussis has also been seen in older kids, particularly ages 7–10 and teens 13–15 in recent years.
4. Whooping cough may be passed on to babies and young children by their own family members.
That’s right. You may wonder if the culprit was that kid hacking away at the mall food court or on every toy at your latest play date. But it might actually have been you — or your spouse, grandma, grandpa, or your older child or teen.
Any of you could’ve contracted the infection and passed it along to your little one without even knowing it. But you’re probably thinking, “Wait, I’m pretty sure we were already vaccinated.” Well, you might have been but…
5. The effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine can fade over time.
In other words, even if you got the vaccine as a child or teen, your protection may have worn off. That means adults who were immunized during childhood may still catch and then pass on the infection to babies and young children who haven’t been fully immunized yet. Depending on your body’s level of immune response and amount of time since your vaccination, you — and others around you — may not be completely protected. That’s why…
6. Any adult should get the Tdap booster shot if they have close contact with an infant 1 year old or younger.
That includes parents, grandparents, child care workers, nannies, babysitters, etc. And any adult who didn’t receive it as a preteen or teen should get the booster. Pregnant women should also get the Tdap during the second half of every pregnancy, even if they’ve previously received the vaccine.
7. At first, pertussis may seem like a common cold or the flu.
Kids with pertussis may start out having a runny nose, sneezing, mild cough and low-grade fever. But after a week or two, the cough often gradually becomes more frequent, with “fits” (or “spells”) of severe, rapid coughing. The fits may last as long as a minute, and may cause gagging and/or vomiting.
Babies can become exhausted from the spells — they may look like they’re gasping for air. And, during particularly bad coughing fits, they may turn blue from lack of oxygen and even stop breathing.
Between spells, children usually feel OK. Adults’ and teens’ symptoms may be milder or different — for example, they may have a cough without the signature whoop or a prolonged cough but not repeated fits of coughing.
8. It can take awhile after you’ve come into contact with pertussis to come down with symptoms.
Signs usually develop within 7–10 days after a person comes into contact with pertussis, but it may take longer (up to 21 days). Call your doctor right away if you think your child has whooping cough or has been around someone with whooping cough — even if your child has already had all scheduled pertussis immunizations.
Antibiotics are used to treat whooping cough. It’s key to give antibiotics at any stage of the illness because they can keep you from spreading the infection to others — playmates, coworkers, and all of those fellow diners and shoppers. Your doctor can also let you know whether other family members need preventive antibiotics or vaccine boosters. Young children who haven’t yet gotten all the doses of the vaccine may need a booster dose if they’ve been exposed to an infected family member.
9. A hospital stay may be necessary for some infants and younger kids with whooping cough.
That’s because they’re more likely to have complications like pneumonia.
Babies younger than 6 months almost always need to be treated at a hospital because whooping cough can be life-threatening for young infants.
10. Pertussis lasts a long time — children (and adults) can be sick with pertussis for months.
There’s usually one to two weeks of common cold symptoms, followed by up to three months of severe coughing, then another few weeks (sometimes months) of recovery as symptoms gradually clear up.
So, if you can’t remember when or if you last had a pertussis vaccination or booster, it’s probably a good idea to get one — as soon as possible.
You’ll be protecting not just yourself, but babies and young children, as well as senior citizens and anyone (young and old) with respiratory conditions like asthma. A quick shot could save you and many others — some you know and love, others you’ve never met — from having to endure the dreaded “100-day cough.”
Learn More
Check out these articles from the experts at Nemours’ KidsHealth.org:
