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The Woes of Whooping Cough


Whooping cough (say: HOOP-ing kof) — also called pertussis (say: pur-TUS-is) — is one of those illnesses. It's a bacterial infection of the respiratory system, which includes the lungs and breathing tubes in the lungs. Whooping cough got its name because kids who had it would cough a lot, and in between coughs they'd make a "whoop" sound when they tried to get a breath.


Today, kids get a series of shots to protect them from getting whooping cough. Some kids still get the infection, but it's less common than it once was. Babies who have had none or just some of the shots are particularly at risk for the illness and often have to be treated in a hospital if they get it.

How Is Whooping Cough Spread?

Pertussis bacteria can live in saliva in the mouth and mucus in the nose. Kids usually catch whooping cough by breathing in tiny droplets that are released into the air when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes. You can't see them, but those drops are there.


What Are the Symptoms?



What's the Treatment?






Pertussis Prevention


Today, kids are usually given five doses of the vaccine against whooping cough. The first three shots are given while a kid is a baby. Another is given when a kid is a toddler and the fifth one is given between ages 4 to 6. And now, doctors want to give another shot (called the Tdap) when a kid is older — like 11 or 12 — to make sure he or she is still protected.


Reviewed by: Rupal Christine Gupta, MD
Date reviewed: March 2015