Whooping cough (pertussis) is an acute bacterial respiratory infection. Initial symptoms resemble a common cold which can progress to include spasmodic coughing, choking spells and vomiting after coughing.
The risk of severe complications is highest in very young babies - 97% of the deaths from whooping cough in the last 12 years have been in infants aged 3 months or less who cannot be fully protected by immunisation.
In adults, the characteristic ‘whoop’ noise when coughing can be absent, but it is usually an unpleasant illness that can be difficult to diagnose. Sometimes the only symptom is a cough which can be severe and may persist for months.
The bacteria are present in the back of the throat and can be spread by coughing and sneezing. An infected person can pass the infection to other people for 21 days from the onset of coughing if not treated with appropriate antibiotics.
Due to how closely our staff work with expectant mothers and newborn babies, we encourage all our healthcare staff get vaccinated or check their vaccination status. This includes our health visiting teams that visit you and your baby in the first few weeks after birth.
In recent years, the number of reported cases and incidents linked to healthcare settings in England has increased, putting vulnerable infants at risk of disease. Vaccination of healthcare workers with pertussis vaccine can help prevent transmission to infants, protecting mum and baby from infection.
Whooping cough continues to be a potentially fatal disease for your baby which is why we also for expectant mothers to get vaccinated too.
Read our story on what you can do to protect your baby to find out more.
