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Oklahoma State Department of Health

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With the school year starting and respiratory season around the corner, it’s important to be aware of the risks of whooping cough (pertussis), especially in infants and young children. Vaccines are available to protect against whooping cough and practicing good hygiene habits can also reduce your risk of getting sick. Learn more at https://brnw.ch/21wMRvN.

  • Whooping Cough (Pertussis) What you need to know.
  • Whooping cough is a very contagious disease caused by bacteria. It can cause severe coughing fits which can affect breathing. Anyone can get whooping cough, but it can cause serious problems and even death in infants and young children. Early detection and testing may make the illness less severe and shorten the length of time someone can spread whooping cough. Talk with your health care provider to determine the need for testing.
  • Whooping cough is spread through close contact with coughing, sneezing, or nose/throat discharges of someone who is infected. People who spend long periods of time with an infected person, such as household members, are more likely to get whooping cough. In most cases, school classmates, co-workers, and people in clinic waiting rooms are not at risk. Without treatment, an infected person can spread the bacteria for up to three weeks.
  • Antibiotics are used to treat whooping cough. Antibiotics can shorten the time you can spread the infection to others, and they may make your illness less severe if started early. However, some symptoms, like cough, may continue even after you complete antibiotics. Household members and other close contacts of persons with whooping cough may need an antibiotic to prevent them from getting the disease, even if they are vaccinated.
  • The best way to prevent yourself and your family from whooping cough is to get vaccinated. Two vaccines are available to protect against whooping cough. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP. The adult and adolescent vaccine is called Tdap. Talk with your health care provider or local health department if you have other questions about the vaccines.

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