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Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis (whooping cough) is easily spread by coughing and sneezing. It causes spells of coughing that make it hard for a child to eat, drink, or breathe. The cough is often followed by a "whooping" sound, which is how the disease got its common name. Vomiting can also follow a long coughing spell. Pertussis can cause pneumonia, serious brain damage, and death.

The disease is most serious in infants. Particularly those who are too young to get the vaccine or who are not fully protected. Babies with pertussis often have to be hospitalized. With older children and adults, the disease can be quite mild or can cause several weeks of exhausting coughing. Babies usually get pertussis from family members or caregivers who don't realize they have the disease. The number of reported pertussis cases has been on the rise in recent years in Washington State.

Protecting infants and young children from pertussis:

Anyone with a severe cough, especially if it includes fits of coughing or causes vomiting, should seek medical care. There is a vaccine to prevent pertussis in older children and adults called Tdap. People in close contact with your baby should get this vaccine to help protect themselves and your baby. In addition anyone with a cough should avoid being around infants. Not all coughs are pertussis, but without testing, it is better to avoid the possible exposure. If it is not possible to avoid being around infants, cough into a tissue, then wash hands thoroughly, or wear a surgical mask to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Scientific Term:

Pertussis

Generic Term:

Whooping Cough

Age Groups at Risk:

All

Fact Sheets:

• Department of Health Fact Sheet
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Fact Sheet

Vaccine Info:

• Ages 0-7:  DTaP or DT

Children should be immunized in the first 18 months of life with a four-shot series of the combination vaccine, DTaP, which includes diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Children who receive all four doses before their fourth birthday should receive a fifth dose before entering kindergarten or elementary school. The fifth dose is not necessary if the fourth dose was given on or after the fourth birthday. This combination vaccine is not given to individuals over age seven years. DT is available for children under seven years who cannot tolerate the pertussis (whooping cough) component.


• Ages 10 and Up: Tdap or Td

One dose of Tdap is recommended for adolescents aged 11 or 12 years in place of one Td booster.  Children in Grade Six and Seven, who are at least 11 years old, are required to show proof of Tdap vaccination if it has been five years since they received a tetanus-containing vaccine (DTaP, DT, or Td). One dose of Tdap is also recommended for older adolescents and adults aged 13 through 64 years.

Vaccine Information Statements:

There is no separate Vaccine Information Statement for combination vaccines.

• DTaP
• Multiple Vaccines
• For patients receiving Pediarix, please review the Vaccine Information Statements for DTaP, Hepatitis B, and IPV.
• Tdap.
• Td

Related Information:

• Notifiable Conditions: Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Publications

Pertussis Resources:

Pertussis Foundation

 

Last Update: 05/21/2009 06:18 PM