Pertussis

Also known as whooping cough

Pertussis (whooping cough)  

Page contents: 

  1. What is whooping cough (pertussis)? 

  2. What are the symptoms? 

  3. How to prevent whooping cough 

  4. Current situation in the United States 

  5. Current situation in Lincoln County, MO 

  6. Vaccine safety and effectiveness information  

  7. I’m not sure if I need a vaccine. What should I do? 

  8. How is whooping cough treated? 

  9. I think I might have whooping cough, what do I do? 

 

What is whooping cough (pertussis)? 

Whooping cough is a respiratory sickness. It’s very contagious (spreads easily from person to person). It can start like a regular cold, but the coughing can go on to last for weeks or months. It is caused by a bacteria.  

Whooping cough is known for the “whoop” noise that someone makes when gasping for air after a coughing fit.  

 

What are the symptoms? 

Whooping cough can have early symptoms and late symptoms.

Early symptoms can look like a regular or common cold and can last for 1-2 weeks. They can include: 

  • Runny or stuffy nose 

  • Low-grade fever (less than 100.4) 

  • Mild cough that happens every once and a while  

Later symptoms (happen after the first 1-2 weeks) normally get worse. Coughing can get worse (especially at night) and becomes uncontrolled. Intense coughing attacks may cause: 

  • Vomiting. 

  • A red or blue face. 

  • Extreme tiredness. 

  • A high-pitched "whoop" sound during the next breath of air. 

Babies may show different symptoms and may not cough at all. Babies and young children might: 

  • Gag or struggle to breathe. 

  • Have skin, lips or nails that turn blue or purple. 

  • Have life-threatening pauses in breathing called apnea. 

 

Health problems and complications 

Many teenagers and adults can recover from whooping cough without any problems. Health problems can happen because of intense coughing fits, such as: 

  • Bruised or cracked ribs. 

  • Tissue that bulges through a weak spot in the muscles of the stomach area, called an abdominal hernia. 

  • Broken blood vessels in the skin or the whites of the eyes. 

Teens and adults also can have: 

  • Loss of bladder control. 

  • Weight loss. 

  • Fainting. 

Pertussis (whooping cough) can make conditions like moderate to severe asthma worse.  

How to prevent whooping cough: 

Your chances of getting whooping cough can be lowered by getting the pertussis vaccine. It’s normally in a combined vaccine, such as DTaP (stands for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis). The vaccine is given to children in a series of 5 shots. It’s normally given at the following ages: 

  • 2 months 

  • 4 months 

  • 6 months 

  • 15 to 18 months 

  • 4 to 6 years 

Preteens also get a vaccine at 11 to 12 years old  

Booster doses are also given to adults about every 10 years. The booster dose may be called Tdap (stands for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). Other groups that may need booster doses include teens and pregnant women. If you’re pregnant, you should get a new Tdap booster during each pregnancy. This helps to give some protection to the baby during their first few months after being born.  

 

Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent pertussis. However, as normal infection patterns return to the United States after the pandemic, CDC expects pertussis cases to increase both in unvaccinated and vaccinated people. Pertussis can happen in vaccinated people since protection from vaccine fades over time. This is also why Tdap boosters are important.  

People who've had whooping cough have some immunity to future whooping cough infections. But, getting sick with whooping cough doesn't provide lifelong protection.

 

Current situation in the United States: 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States is starting to return to pre-pandemic patterns where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year.  

Early data show that more than 6 times as many cases have been reported as of week 52 reported on December 28, 2024, compared to the same time in 2023. The number of reported cases in 2024 was higher than what was seen in 2019, prior to the pandemic. 

It's likely that mitigation measures used during the pandemic (for example, masking, remote learning) lowered the spread of pertussis. 

 

Current situation in Lincoln County, MO: 

Lincoln County is currently seeing an increase in whooping cough (pertussis) cases. Our agency is monitoring the situation, doing disease investigations to prevent spread, and providing information to people who are affected. The number of confirmed cases in our area is currently less than 10.  

Cases have been identified in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. As typical infection patterns return to the United States after the pandemic, it is expected that pertussis cases will increase both in unvaccinated and vaccinated populations. 

 

 

Vaccine safety and effectiveness information  

There are 2 types of combination vaccines that include protection against whooping cough: 

  • DTaP 

  • Tdap 

The letter "T" in DTaP and Tdap shows they also help protect against tetanus. The letter "D/d" in DTaP and Tdap shows they also help protect against diphtheria. 

 

Whooping cough vaccines work well but protection fades over time. 

 

Vaccine side effects 

Most often, side effects of the vaccine are mild. They may include a fever, crankiness, headache, fatigue or soreness at the site of the shot. 

 

 

I’m not sure if I need a vaccine. What should I do? 

CDC recommends whooping cough vaccine for: 

  • Babies and children 

  • Preteens and teens 

  • People who are pregnant 

To maintain protection against tetanus and diphtheria, adults should get a booster dose of Td or Tdap every 10 years. 

 

If you’re not sure if you’re up-to-date on your DTaP or Tdap, you can call your doctor or the Lincoln County Health Department at (636) 528-6117 

 

How is whooping cough treated? 

Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics. It’s important to diagnose and treat whooping cough early. Starting treatment after 3 weeks of sickness is unlikely to help even though most people will still have symptoms. Ongoing symptoms aren’t due to bacteria, but happen because the airways were damaged and take time to fully heal. 

 

Most people with whooping cough can recover and take care of themselves at home. If you have whooping cough, you should: 

  • Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. 

  • Keep your home free from things that cause coughing like 

    • Smoke 

    • Dust 

    • Chemical fumes 

  • Use a clean, cool mist humidifier to loosen mucus and soothe the cough. 

  • Eat small meals every few hours to help prevent vomiting. 

  • Get plenty of fluids, including water, juices, and fruits. 

Don't take cough medicine unless your healthcare provider recommends it.  

 

Sometimes whooping cough can be very serious, especially for babies. People who are seriously sick may need to go to the hospital for treatment.  

 

I think I might have whooping cough (pertussis), what do I do? 

If you know that you’ve been exposed to whooping cough, make sure to let your doctor know. This will help the doctor to get you the right testing and make sure no one else is exposed.  

Most people with whooping cough can recover and take care of themselves at home, but it can be very serious for babies. 

If you are diagnosed with whooping cough, the health department will call you to conduct a disease interview. This is to ensure that whooping cough doesn’t spread to other members of the community.  

 

 

Sources:  

Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whooping-cough/symptoms-causes/syc-20378973  

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/php/surveillance/index.html  

https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/vaccines/index.html  

Page last updated: May 28, 2025