Self Care Articles

Is this your child's symptom?

• Close contact with someone who has Whooping Cough (pertussis).
• Close contact means living in the same house with the infected person. It also includes close physical contact such as having a kissing relationship.
• Your child has NO symptoms of whooping cough (cough, runny nose).

Whooping Cough Exposure (Close Contact): Definition

• Being near an infected person puts you at risk for getting whooping cough. Examples of close contact are:
• Living in the same house. Household contacts have the highest risk of catching whooping cough.
• For young children, being in the same childcare room or carpool.
• Sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses.
• Face-to-face contact such as kissing or hugging.
• Being coughed or sneezed on.
• Having prolonged close conversation (within 6 feet) of an infected person

Whooping Cough Symptoms

• Starts with a runny nose and a dry cough. Looks just like a viral cold. No fever. Lasts 1 to 2 weeks.
• Then the cough worsens. During coughing spells the child looks like he is choking. Each coughing spell lasts 1 to 2 minutes.
• About half of coughing spells end with a "whoop", a deep gasping sound heard when breathing in.
• This whooping sound is more common in children than adults.
• Cough lasts for 1 to 2 months.

Whooping Cough Vaccine Schedule

• The AAP recommends giving DTaP vaccine to prevent whooping cough at the following ages:
• 2, 4 and 6 months: dosages 1, 2 and 3 (gives 65% protection).
• 15 to 18 months: 4th dose (gives 80% protection).
• 4 to 6 years: 5th dose (gives 85% protection).
• 11 to 12 years: 6th dose using Tdap.
• Pregnant women get a booster dose during the last trimester to help protect their newborn. Whooping cough infections in babies are usually severe.