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May 5, 2025—Whooping cough sounds like an old-fashioned name for a disease. And that's because it has been around for a long time. A vaccine for whooping cough was developed in the 1940s. Before that, the illness was a leading cause of illness and death for children in the U.S.

But lately, cases of whooping cough, also called pertussis, have been rising again. That's likely due to several factors, says the American Lung Association, like diagnostic tests being more accurate, decreased immunity from vaccines and a wider spread of the bacteria that cause pertussis.

A common disease

Although children are most likely to catch pertussis, people of any age can get it. It spreads easily from person to person and peaks in summer and fall. And according to the American Medical Association, most kids catch it from adults.

At first, pertussis feels like a cold. In children, early symptoms include:

• Runny nose.
• Congestion.
• Mild fever (less than 100.4 degrees).
• Occasional cough.

One or two weeks later, violent, uncontrollable coughing fits start. These fits can cause:

• Difficulty breathing. The "whooping" sound that gives the illness its name comes as people gasp for air after a coughing fit.
• Vomiting.
• Fatigue.
• Broken ribs.
• A blueish tinge around the lips.

What's worse, the coughing fits continue and become more severe—and they can last for up to 10 weeks or longer, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's why it's sometimes called "the 100-day cough."

In babies, sleep apnea—a pause in breathing—may be more common than coughing. This may cause them to struggle to breathe or turn blue.

Serious complications are also most likely to develop in infants.

Vaccination is key

Pertussis is an illness no one wants to catch. If it is diagnosed with a nasal swab test within the first week of illness, antibiotics can be an effective treatment.

The best way to avoid pertussis is to get vaccinated. There are two types of pertussis vaccines: DTap and Tdap. Here's an overview:

• Young children get five doses of the DTaP vaccine between ages 2 months and 6 years.
• Preteens get a Tdap booster between ages 11 and 12.
• Adults get a Tdap shot at any time if they have never been vaccinated. They get a booster every 10 years.
• Pregnant women get the Tdap vaccine once during every pregnancy.

Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of the pertussis vaccine.

Did you know that the pertussis vaccine also protects you from tetanus? Learn more about this rare nervous system infection.

Sources

• American Lung Association. "Five Things to Know About Whooping Cough." https://www.lung.org/blog/whooping-cough.
• American Medical Association. "What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About Pertussis." https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-pertussis.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Symptoms of Whooping Cough." https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/signs-symptoms/index.html.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Whooping Cough Vaccination." https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/vaccines/index.html.