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Whooping cough (pertussis). A contagious disease that can be deadly for babies
Whooping cough can be dangerous, especially for newborns and babies
Whooping cough can lead to pneumonia (a serious lung infection, convulsions, brain damage, apnea, death, “About half of babies younger than 1 year old who get whooping cough are hospitalized.”
Symptoms of whooping cough: low-grade fever, exhaustion after coughing fits, vomiting during or after coughing fits, runny nose, apnea—babies may have a pause in breathing, paroxysms—coughing fits followed by a high-pitched “whoop,” babies may have little or no cough.
Whooping cough is highly contagious. Make sure your child gets all 5 doses of DTaP vaccine to help protect him against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus.
Dose #1 at 2 months
Dose #2 at 4 months
Dose #3 at 6 months
Dose #4 at 15-18 months
Dose #5 at 4-6 years
Pregnant women should get the whooping cough vaccine during each pregnancy to help protect their newborns until they get DTaP vaccine at 2 months old.
