How does it spread³?

The disease spreads from person to person³. When an infected person sneezes or coughs, people within the same space can breathe in the tiny germ-laden droplets³.

Following exposure to the bacteria, signs and symptoms usually develop within 5 to 10 days⁴.

Whooping cough disease progression signs and symptoms may include:

Early Symptoms – Stage 1⁴:

(May last 1-2 weeks)

In its early stages, whooping cough may not be suspected as the symptoms of the disease may appear to be nothing more than the common cold⁴.

During stage 1, the symptoms may include⁴:

• Stuffy or runny nose
• Low-grade fever
• Mild, occasional cough
• Life-threatening pauses in breathing (called apnoea) and ‘turning blue or purple’ in babies and young children (known as cyanosis)

Later Symptoms – Stage 2⁴:

(Lasts 1-6 weeks after the first symptoms start, and may extend up to 10 weeks)

One to 2 weeks after the first symptoms start, people with whooping cough may develop rapid, violent, and uncontrolled coughing fits. Coughing fits generally get worse and become more common as the illness continues⁴.

The coughing fits during stage 2 may cause people to⁴:

• Make a high-pitched “whoop” sound when they are finally able to inhale at the end of a coughing fit
• Struggle to breathe
• Vomit during or after coughing fits
• Feel very tired after the fit, but usually seem well in-between fits

Many babies with whooping cough don’t cough at all; instead, it may cause them struggle to breathe or turn blue.

Recovery – Stage 3⁴:

(Lasts up 2-3 weeks, susceptible to other respiratory infections for many months)

During the recovery stage, the cough becomes milder and less persistent symptoms improve, however⁴:

• Coughing fits may stop for a while but can return if you get other respiratory infections
• Coughing fits may also return many months after the whooping cough illness started

What complications exist with whooping cough?

Whooping cough can cause serious and sometimes deadly complications in babies and young children⁵. Babies and children who have not had all recommended whooping cough vaccines are more likely to get serious complications⁵. About one-third of babies younger than 1 year old who get whooping cough need care in the hospital⁵. 

Babies and children infected with the disease are likely to experience complications such as lung infection (pneumonia), life-threatening pauses in breathing, violent and uncontrollable shaking (seizures), dehydration and weight loss due to feeding difficulties, and even brain damage⁵.

Teens and adults tend to recover from whooping cough with few problems. When complications do occur, they are usually side effects caused by weeks of strenuous coughing². These may include bruised or cracked ribs, abdominal hernias and broken blood vessels in the skin or the whites of the eyes². Teens and adults infected with the disease may also experience loss of bladder control and weight loss⁵.

How is whooping cough prevented?

Whooping cough is a serious disease that can be deadly for babies⁶. Unfortunately, babies do not start building protection against whooping cough until they get vaccinated at 6 weeks old^1,6. This leaves babies unprotected in the first months of life when they are at the highest risk of getting very sick if they get whooping cough⁶. Whooping cough can be avoided with preventative measures as it is a vaccine-preventable disease.⁷ Pregnant women can help protect their babies against whooping cough before birth by vaccinating against the disease during their second and third trimester⁶.

After a pregnant mother is vaccinated, her body creates protective antibodies and passes high levels of them to her baby before birth⁶. These antibodies provide the baby with short-term protection against whooping cough in early life until his or her routine vaccinations start at 6 weeks of age^1,6. To help keep your child safe from contracting whooping cough, it is also essential to ensure that your child’s primary routine vaccinations and booster vaccinations take place^1,7– to find the full routine vaccination schedule you should be aware of, visit here (link to article).