Before your child is even born, you can begin the process of protecting him or her from whooping cough. Under normal circumstances, expectant mothers should be vaccinated against whooping cough at some point between their 27th and 36th weeks of pregnancy.The antibodies you develop will be passed on to your unborn child, helping to protect him or her during the first few weeks of life, when the dangers of whooping cough are the greatest. Newborns cannot be vaccinated until they are two months old, so this indirect protection is the best alternative.
Women should be vaccinated each time they are pregnant. Adult vaccination requires one shot of the “Tdap” vaccine, which also covers tetanus and diphtheria.
Kids age seven and above and adults get the “Tdap” vaccine; kids under age seven get the “DTaP,” which covers the same illnesses but has a slightly different composition.;
, Do not let unvaccinated people come in contact with your newborn, as they could unknowingly pass on pertussis.Exposure prevention is the best way to protect a newborn from whooping cough.
Do not let your discomfort prevent you from protecting your susceptible newborn. If someone isn’t sure if he or she has been vaccinated against whooping cough before, require a new vaccination — it won’t hurt if it is a repeat. Adults should be vaccinated every 10 years, but it is safe to get them more frequently. Newer vaccines may also wear off sooner, so you may want to get a booster before 10 years have passed.
If you want to do more than just say "I'm sorry, but if you haven't been vaccinated, you can't be near my baby," the CDC has collected a wide range of supplemental materials that may help at http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/materials/parents.html. These materials include single-page fact sheets, videos, a children's book, and personalized e-cards that you can send out before your baby is born. Use them to support your insistence about the vital importance of vaccination.
 In the U.S. and elsewhere, it is recommended that newborns receive “DTap” shots at two, four, and six months of age, then one more shot at 15 to 18 months. Unless there is a medical reason why your child cannot be vaccinated, following this schedule is the best protective measure you can take.About one in four newborns will experience minor side effects from the shot — typically fever or injection-site redness or swelling for a couple of days. More severe reactions are very rare — discuss the risks and signs to watch out for with your baby’s pediatrician.
 For most older children and adults, whooping cough presents first like the common cold, with congestion, coughing, and a runny nose, followed after one to two weeks by more severe coughing. It often progresses to severe coughing spells that are sometimes followed by a "whoop" sound as you are catching your breath. This cough may last for weeks or even months if left untreated. Symptoms in infants can be harder to identify, however, which is another reason why protecting them is so important.Some infants do not develop the telltale cough, and may instead experience apnea — abnormal pauses in breathing. Sadly, in rare cases, pertussis-induced apnea in infants can lead to cardiac arrest and even death. Pertussis can also cause dangerous cases of pneumonia in newborns.
If your infant presents with cold-like symptoms (runny nose, etc.), contact the doctor to discuss the infant’s risk of pertussis and to get the infant tested if pertussis is suspected. About half of all infants who develop whooping cough need to be hospitalized.
 Many good-intentioned people continue to advocate against childhood vaccinations, and can present superficially compelling and even scientific-sounding defenses for the position. However, there is an overwhelming mountain of evidence demonstrating that the benefits of vaccination for illnesses like whooping cough outweigh any potential risks by exponential degrees.There is simply no legitimate scientific evidence that vaccinations cause autism, make illnesses worse or more likely, harm the immune system, or any of the other common claims. Vaccination is not 100% effective, and can hurt some people; but it helps so many more.
Don’t sell whooping cough short — it is a threat to your infant’s life. Get your baby and those who surround him or her vaccinated.
 If your infant or small child has not been vaccinated against whooping cough, due to an allergy or medical condition for instance, you must continue to be vigilant in protecting him or her from contracting pertussis.


Most babies who contract whooping cough get it at home, from a parent, sibling, or other visitor. If vaccination is not an option (yet or ever) for your child, "cocooning" him or her by limiting contact with non-vaccinated or potentially infected persons is your best alternative.Don't hesitate to ask people if they or their children have been vaccinated, or if they have been sick recently. Disclose that your child cannot be vaccinated and is thus at an increased risk. Once again, the materials at http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/materials/parents.html may be helpful.
With non-vaccinated infants in particular, you should try to avoid contact with anyone who has been sick, whooping cough or not. Children under six months old are particularly susceptible to a variety of illnesses. You're not being rude by asking if someone has been sick recently or turning down a play-date; you are protecting your child and being a responsible parent.
 After the series of three shots at 2-6 months and one more at 15-18 months, current recommendations advise that children be vaccinated once more with the “DTap” shot between the ages of four and six. Generally speaking, have your child get the final “DTap” shot before he or she begins school, which is a common breeding ground for the spread of illnesses like whooping cough.At age 11-12, your child should receive a single dose of the “Tdap” vaccine as well. As an adult, your child will need to be vaccinated again every 10 years.
 The whooping cough vaccine is about 80%-90% effective when administered according to the recommended schedule. This means vaccinated children are at a small risk, and unvaccinated children at a much higher risk if whooping cough is spread at school, a playground, etc.However, keep in mind that the vaccine loses its effectiveness over time, so your child is at a higher risk the longer it has been since he or she was vaccinated.


Even if your child has been vaccinated, steer clear of kids or adults who have or may have whooping cough. If your child has or may have whooping cough, keep him or her out of school and away from public areas until he or she recovers and your doctor says it's ok to return. Treating pertussis with antibiotics will help your child recover faster and it may even help prevent the spread of pertussis to others, including family members.
Remember, even if pertussis is unlikely to be more than an annoying illness for your child, each case of whooping cough increases the chance that a newborn (or other high-risk person) somewhere will contract the illness.
 If your child has been exposed to someone who has pertussis, either at school or at home, then your child’s doctor may want to put your child (and anyone else who was exposed) on an antibiotic, such as azithromycin. Your child would have to take the antibiotic for five days. The antibiotic may prevent your child from developing pertussis after exposure.


You will also need to follow up with your child’s doctor if he or she has been exposed. Your child’s doctor would need to examine your child and tests may also be necessary if your child is having any cough or cold symptoms.
A post-exposure prophylactic antibiotic will need to be administered within 21 days of exposure, so take your child to see the doctor as soon as you find out that he or she was exposed to pertussis., Recent outbreaks of whooping cough — such as in California in 2010 and again in 2014 — have led some to question the efficacy of the vaccine (and a few others to condemn all vaccines). Early evidence indicates that changes in the vaccine in the 1990s meant to reduce the severity of possible side effects may have reduced the long-term efficacy of both the “DTap” and “Tdap” shots.At present, no changes have been recommended to the current immunization schedule. However, it is possible that the age-based schedule may eventually be supplemented or replaced by a risk-based, targeted schedule. For instance, shots may be recommended at the start of a new outbreak, akin to how flu shots are recommended at the start of each flu season.
If you have questions, talk to your doctor.
 Whooping cough can be hard to recognize at first, as it often mimics the common cold for one to two weeks. In most older children and adults, though, a telltale cough eventually develops. Once it does, see the doctor for treatment.Pertussis often causes coughing fits so severe that the lungs are emptied of air; the struggle to refill the lungs by gasping for air creates the distinctive “whooping” sound between coughs.
To hear an audio sample of a coughing fit with the “whooping” sound that gives pertussis its common name, visit http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/materials/everyone.html#pertussis-sounds.
 If an infant shows any signs of a cold or illness, contact the doctor. If a child has had what seems to be a common cold for more than a week or two and develops a severe cough, or develops the severe coughing fits at any time, visit the doctor.


After testing to confirm a pertussis diagnosis, antibiotics are a common treatment. Antibiotics can shorten the amount of time that someone with pertussis is contagious, which may prevent others from becoming infected. Otherwise, the treatment options comprise primarily of rest, fluids, and symptom treatments (such as easing the cough).It may be necessary to monitor infants for signs of apnea or other problems while staying in the hospital.
 If your child has (or may have) whooping cough, keep him or her out of school and away from large gatherings. Whooping cough spreads extremely easily among children who are not vaccinated, and less so in those who are vaccinated, and there is no way for you to know if other children have been vaccinated or not.People with whooping cough are most contagious during the first three weeks or so, which covers the initial stage that mimics the common cold, and the early period when the severe coughing fits usually begin. But follow your doctor’s advice regarding how long your child should avoid contact with large groups.
Get vaccinated while pregnant.
Create a “circle of protection.” Before your child is born, you should begin checking to make sure that all family, friends, and caregivers that will be around your newborn have been vaccinated against whooping cough.
Have your infant vaccinated according to the recommended schedule.
Recognize symptoms of pertussis.
Don’t downplay the risk or avoid vaccination.
Continue to take special precautions.
Vaccinate your kids as toddlers and pre-teens.
Avoid outbreaks.
Ask about post-exposure prophylactic antibiotics.
Watch for possible changes in whooping cough immunization practices.
Look and listen for signs of pertussis.
Seek medical attention as needed.
Be respectful of others.
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