Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Information - Learn how to protect your family!

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This information on this page was last updated: September 1, 2010

The California Department of Public Health has declared an epidemic of Whooping Cough (Pertussis) in California. Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that can cause serious coughing fits that make it hard to breathe.

Whooping cough is a serious disease for babies. Babies under 1 year of age are at most risk for serious illness. Each year hundreds of babies are hospitalized for whooping cough and some die. But you can help to protect yourself and the babies you love from this disease.

Adults and older children who have not had a booster shot for whooping cough can get the disease and then spread it to babies. Most babies get whooping cough from their parents or other family members and caregivers who aren’t vaccinated. That’s why it’s important for anyone who lives with or cares for a baby to get vaccinated. In adults, whooping cough can cause serious coughing fits that make it hard to breathe, and the cough may last for weeks to months.

How do I protect myself and my family from whooping cough?

Get Vaccinated
Whooping cough is spread easily from person to person. At first it may seem like an ordinary cold but can become more serious. Whooping cough is most infectious before the coughing starts.

For the best protection against whooping cough, children need five shots. Infants can be vaccinated starting at 2 months of age, and again at 4 and 6 months. Until all three shots are completed, infants are at serious risk for severe illness and even death from whooping cough.

A fourth shot is recommended for children between 15 – 18 months, and a fifth shot is given when a child enters school, at 4–6 years of age. To find out where children without medical insurance can receive pediatric immunizations, including those for whooping cough, please click here.

Your protection from whooping cough, either from getting the vaccine or from having the illness, can fade with time. Recently, the California Department of Public Health expanded their recommendations for those who should get the booster shot for whooping cough:

Anyone 7 years and older who is not fully immunized
Women of childbearing age, before, during, or immediately after pregnancy
People who have contact with pregnant women or infants less than one year of age

Also, preteens going to the doctor for their regular checkup at age 11 or 12 years should get a whooping cough booster shot.

Please contact your healthcare provider and ask for the whooping cough vaccine, especially if you live or care for a child less than 1 year of age.

If you do not have health insurance or a medical provider, click here for Whooping Cough Vaccination Clinics.

There is no lifetime immunity from this disease and nearly half of all infants who get whooping cough get it from their family members.

Pregnant women may be safely vaccinated against whooping cough during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, or after giving birth. Fathers may be vaccinated at any time, but it is better at least two weeks before the birth of their baby. Click here for more information about protection for new moms.

Maintain Healthy Habits
Healthy habits can protect you and your children from getting germs or spreading germs at home, work and school. Simple actions can prevent you from getting sick:

Cover your mouth and nose and use a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Drop the tissue in the trash. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm.
Clean your hands often. Clean your hands every time you cough or sneeze. Washing your hands can stop germs from spreading. Alcohol-based gels and wipes also work well.
Remind your children to practice healthy habits, too. Germs that cause colds, coughs, flu and pneumonia spread easily.
You can feel good about doing the right things to stay healthy. To learn more, please visit www.cdc.gov/germstopper.
If you think that you have whooping cough, you need to contact your doctor.

For more information:
Call the Public Health Information Line at 408-885-3980 or visit California Department of Public Health or Centers for Disease Control.