Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a serious infection of the airways. Early symptoms are similar to the common cold and include sneezing, runny nose, mild fever, and a mild cough. Over the next 2 weeks, the cough gets worse, leading to severe, repeated, and forceful coughing spells that often end with a whooping sound before the next breath. The cough can last several months and often occurs more at night. Pertussis can cause complications such as pneumonia, seizures, brain damage or even death. Each year in Canada, 1 to 3 deaths occur due to pertussis, mostly in babies less than 3 months of age who have not been immunized.
Pertussis spreads easily when an infected person coughs, sneezes or has close contact with others. The infection can spread to others during the early stages when symptoms are not severe, and if left untreated, can spread up to 3 weeks after the cough starts.
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against pertussis. The pertussis vaccines are provided in combination with other vaccines such as diphtheria, polio and tetanus and are free as part of your child’s routine immunizations. Call your health care provider to make an appointment.
For more information about whopping cough and vaccinations, call 8-1-1 or click the links below.
