Unfortunately, unlike polio and measles, which have been eradicated in the United States, kids can still get whooping cough.
Why are infants still at risk for getting whooping cough?
One big reason is that even though they receive the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP), it isn't until they get the 3rd dose when they are six months old that they are protected against whooping cough as infants. Older kids get their protection from their booster doses at 15 to 18 months, 4 to 6 years, and again at 11 to 12 years (Tdap vaccine).
Many older children and adults are not immune to pertussis though, since the Tdap vaccine is fairly new, and immunity to pertussis wears off. That means that some teens and adults could have pertussis, especially if they have a lingering cough for weeks or months. In fact, cases of pertussis have been on the rise in recent years, and your baby could get whooping cough if he was around someone with this infection.
When parents think of whooping cough, they often think of a child who is having coughing spells that are followed by a 'whooping' sound. Although that is the characteristic or classic sound that kids with whooping cough make, remember that not all kids will make those sounds. Instead, some kids just have coughing spells, others cough until they vomit (post-tussive emesis), and some just have a chronic cough.
Whooping cough can be more serious for newborns and young infants, who may have apnea, or periods where they stop breathing.
Seek medical attention if you think that your child may have whooping cough.
