Research was released today indicating that instances of pertussis, or whooping cough are rising. We talked to Dr. Sandy Arnold, infectious disease physician at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Arnold’s input is below.

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a bacterial infection characterized by a prolonged cough that can be severe, especially in very young children.  It is called whooping cough because infected people can have spells of cough during which it is difficult to breath, thus making an unusual sound called a whoop.  

Pertussis has three stages. The first stage lasts about seven - 10 days and is indistinguishable from the common cold. The next stage usually lasts several weeks and is the period where the most severe episodes of cough occur. Finally, the patient will enter a healing phase of the infection; this, too, can last several weeks.  Many serious complications can result from pertussis, particularly in young infants, including pneumonia, seizures and rib fractures.

The best way to prevent pertussis is to have your child vaccinated against the infection. In 2005, two new vaccines known as DTaP and Tdap were licensed. DTaP is for children younger than 7 years and has a higher concentration of pertussis than Tdap, which is intended for persons 10 years and older. The DTaP and Tdap vaccines are given as a shot in the muscle.

The usual schedule for infants is a series of four doses given at two, four, six and 15-18 months of age. A fifth dose, or booster, is recommended at 4-6 years of age, unless the fourth dose was given late (after the fourth birthday). All adolescents and adults younger than age 65 years should receive a one-time dose of Tdap.