02/22/2026
I have seen several cases of whooping cough in our community over the past few weeks and wanted to share some information about what it is, its signs and symptoms, and how we can help prevent it.
Whooping cough is caused by a highly contagious bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. It is spread by respiratory droplets. It's an interesting disease with multiple stages. The first stage is very similar to the common cold and lasts for about 2 weeks. The second stage is where we see the "whooping" breathing - coughing fits followed by a long breath (which sounds like "whoop"). We also see vomiting after these coughing fits. This stage lasts weeks to months.
The final stage is where we see gradual improvement of symptoms, which also typically lasts weeks to months. The best prevention for this is the Tdap vaccine for children over the age of 10 and adults. This vaccine is commonly called a tetanus shot. DTaP is recommended for children to help prevent the disease.
We care about this because infants have a high chance of requiring hospitalization and an increased risk of developing pneumonia, seizures, and, unfortunately, death. And frankly, no one wants to cough for weeks to months.
Reach out to your local health department, pharmacy or your primary care office if you are interested in seeing if your vaccine is up to date, have been in contact with someone with whooping cough, or have symptoms that are consistent with whooping cough.
