They are affected more seriously by the disease than older children or adults, and are more likely to develop complications. One in every babies who contract whooping cough under six months of age will die. Whooping cough begins with symptoms similar to those of a cold.
These can rapidly progress to include:. A person with these symptoms may also have poor appetite, fatigue and dehydration. The person may appear normal between bouts of coughing.
During the recovery, the cough gradually decreases, but can last up to three months. Whooping cough is most serious in babies under 12 months of age.
In young babies less than six months of age, the symptoms can be severe or life threatening. Seek urgent medical attention if your child's lips or skin go blue cyanosis or if they are having breathing difficulties associated with the coughing. Some of the complications of whooping cough in young babies include:. The Bordetella pertussis bacterium is spread by airborne droplets from the upper respiratory tract when the infected person coughs or sneezes and is highly infectious.
The time from infection to appearance of symptoms incubation period is between six and 20 days. A person is infectious for the first 21 days of their cough or until they have had five days of a day course of antibiotics. In countries where immunisation rates are high, the risk of catching whooping cough is low. In Victoria, most reports of whooping cough currently occur in adults over 20 years of age.
Recent research has shown that family members, household contacts and carers are the main source of whooping cough infection in babies. Whooping cough needs to be diagnosed and treated immediately. There are a number of tests for whooping cough, but they are not always reliable and the results may take some time. Treatment should not be withheld while waiting for these results. In its early stages, the symptoms of whooping cough can be reduced by taking antibiotics. If treatment is given in the first 21 days of the illness, the risk of passing the infection to others might be reduced.
Members of the infected person's household are at increased risk of getting the disease and are usually prescribed a strong antibiotic as a preventative measure, even if they are fully immunised. In Victoria, the whooping cough vaccine is only available in a number of combined vaccines that also contain protection against other serious and potentially fatal diseases. Whooping cough vaccines offer the best protection against this very contagious disease.
Make sure you and your loved ones are up to date with your whooping cough vaccines. These vaccines also provide protection against tetanus and diphtheria. Children younger than 7 years old get DTaP, while older children, teens, and adults get Tdap. The vaccine recommended for someone depends on their age. Most people who get a whooping cough vaccine do not have any serious problems with it. How serious is whooping cough? What are the symptoms of whooping cough?
How soon do symptoms appear? How is whooping cough treated? How is whooping cough prevented? Are some people at higher risk from whooping cough? People at greatest risk from whooping cough include: Infants under one year old. Pregnant women especially in the third trimester. People that have a chronic respiratory illness.
How common is whooping cough in Washington? Is there still a whooping cough epidemic in Washington? Are there more cases of whooping cough than what's reported? Only about one out of every 10 cases gets reported to public health because: Sometimes whooping cough is diagnosed as something else. Some people have whooping cough without knowing it, so they may not see a doctor and it could go undiagnosed and unreported. What if I was exposed to someone who has whooping cough? What should I do if I think someone in my family has whooping cough?
How should employers handle employees returning to work who have had whooping cough? Where can I get more information about whooping cough? There are two vaccines that protect against whooping cough: DTaP is for babies and children younger than age seven years. Tdap is for kids seven years and older, adolescents, and adults including pregnant women. Who needs the whooping cough vaccine? Who Which vaccine Adults 19 years and older who did not already get a Tdap booster Especially: Health care workers Anyone who is in contact with babies less than a year old Tdap; one dose Pregnant women even if you were previously vaccinated Tdap; one dose as early as possible during the third trimester between 27 and 36 weeks of gestation of each pregnancy Teens 11 to 18 years old preferably at 11 or 12 years of age Tdap; one dose Kids 7 to 10 years old who did not get all 5 doses of DTaP listed below Tdap; one dose Children 2 months to 7 years old DTaP One dose at each age: 2 months 4 months 6 months months years How soon can my new baby get the vaccine?
If your child is younger than seven years and isn't up to date, talk to his or her healthcare provider right away about getting caught up on DTaP vaccines. How often should adults get the whooping cough vaccine?
If my child had whooping cough, should he or she still get vaccinated? How many people are vaccinated in Washington? Can people who have been vaccinated still get whooping cough? How long does the vaccine for younger kids DTaP last? How long does the vaccine for older kids, teens, and adults Tdap last?
Should I get vaccinated again if I got a Tdap vaccine a few years ago? Will vaccination recommendations change? What is the best prevention for people who are up to date on their whooping cough vaccine? Does the flu vaccine affect how well the whooping cough vaccine works?
How are the vaccines monitored for safety? Are there side effects from the vaccines? Like any medication, vaccines may cause side effects. Most are mild: Pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site In children, this is more common after the fourth and fifth doses of DTaP than after the first three doses. Mild fever Headache Tiredness Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach ache Chills, body aches, sore joints, rash, or swollen glands uncommon Moderate reactions to whooping cough vaccine are rare, but could include crying for three hours or more in children.
Is it okay to get it again? There are many places that offer whooping cough vaccine: Your health care provider Most pharmacies some have limits on what ages they serve Your local health agency For your child, vaccines are often due on their scheduled well child visits and will be given by their healthcare provider. Are there vaccination clinics? Will there be school vaccination clinics? Does Medicare cover the vaccine? Does Washington Apple Health Medicaid cover the vaccine?
Why should pregnant women get vaccinated against whooping cough? Why should pregnant women get vaccinated during each pregnancy? Adults who have never received a dose of Tdap should also get vaccinated against pertussis. Basic information for people interested in diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough vaccination Vaccine recommendations and contraindications; composition, immunogenicity, and efficacy; storage and handling; administration details Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.
Vaccines and Preventable Diseases.
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