Vaccines and Preventable Diseases:
Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Vaccination
Pronounced (per-TUS-iss)
Whooping cough — known medically as pertussis — is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. Although it initially resembles an ordinary cold, whooping cough may eventually turn more serious, particularly in infants. Whooping cough is most contagious before the coughing starts. The best way to prevent it is through vaccinations. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP. The whooping cough booster vaccine for adolescents and adults is called Tdap. Both protect against whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria.
Pertussis Outbreaks 2010
Through July 2010, several states have reported an increase in cases and/or localized outbreaks of pertussis, including a state-wide epidemic in California. Localized outbreaks are not uncommon and occur throughout the year. Over the last 5 years, 8,000-25,000 cases of pertussis were reported per year in the United States. Everyone should make sure they are up to date with pertussis vaccinations — DTaP vaccine for infants and children and Tdap booster for adolescents and adults.
See Notes from the Field: Pertussis --- January – June, 2010. MMRW: 9 July 2010 / 59(26);817.
Resources for Healthcare Providers
- Pertussis is Epidemic in California: Protect Infants, Adolescents & Adults!
[86KB -1 page]
California Department of Public Health, Immunization Branch, July 2010 - CDC/Medscape video commentaries on pertussis disease and vaccination
– Video: Pertussis–Recognition and Treatment
– Video: With Pertussis on the Rise, Who Needs a Tdap Vaccination? NEW Jul 2010 - Guidelines for the Control of Pertussis Outbreaks
- Pertussis Chapter - Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases textbook
Resources for Parents and Patients
- Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Outbreaks - Questions and Answers NEW Aug 2010
- CDC Feature: Pertussis (Whooping Cough) – What You Need to Know UPDATED July 2010
– English version and Spanish version - Flyer: Protect Yourself and Your Baby NEW Jul 2010
– English version [830KB, 1 page] and
Spanish version [1.3MB, 1 page] - Send a Health-e-Card about protecting against pertussis NEW Jul 2010
– English eCards and Spanish eCards - Would you know pertussis? Hear the cough
Utah Bureau of Epidemiology
On This Page:
For Health Professionals:
What You Should Know
- Pertussis (Whooping Cough) – What You Need To Know also available in español
- All about the disease UPDATED Aug 2010
Symptoms, treatment, prevention, complications, transmission, etc. - Kid-friendly fact sheet NEW Aug 2010
Audio: Hear the whooping cough sound NEW Aug 2010
It is important to know that not everyone with pertussis coughs or "whoops".- Pictures of Pertussis
Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic. -
Adults and Whooping Cough (pertussis)
AdultImmunization.org - Travelers' Health - Yellow Book
Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, etc.
Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis Vaccines
There are several formulations of vaccines used to prevent diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Some are combined with vaccines to prevent other diseases and reduce the total number of shots that someone receives at one office visit. In the U.S., DTaP, Tdap, and Td vaccines are most commonly used. One of these (DTaP) is given to children younger than 7 years of age, and two (Tdap and Td) are given to older children and adults.
Children should get 5 doses of DTaP, one dose at each of the following ages: 2, 4, 6, and 15-18 months and 4-6 years.
Td is a tetanus-diphtheria vaccine given to adolescents and adults as a booster shot every 10 years, or after an exposure to tetanus under some circumstances. Tdap is similar to Td but also containing protection against pertussis. A single dose of Tdap is recommended for adolescents 11 or 12 years of age, or in place of one Td booster in older adolescents and adults age 19 through 64.
(Upper-case letters in these abbreviations denote full-strength doses of diphtheria (D) and tetanus (T) toxoids and pertussis (P) vaccine. Lower-case “d” and “p” denote reduced doses of diphtheria and pertussis used in the adolescent/adult-formulations. The “a” in DTaP and Tdap stands for “acellular,” meaning that the pertussis component contains only a part of the pertussis organism.)
- VIDEO: Jennifer Lopez promoting
immunization against pertussis
Updated May 2009
- Do I need a pertussis vaccine?
Describes when and which vaccine you should receive (for adults, parents-to-be, infants and children, teens, travelers and healthcare personnel) - Side effects of vaccines (DTaP & Tdap)
Excerpt from Vaccine Information Statement
- Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) (DTaP & Tdap)
- Comforting children during vaccinations NEW Aug 2010
- Pertussis Vaccine Questions & Answers
Immunization Action Coalition - School Vaccine Requirements
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Vaccines
- SIDS Not Linked to Number & Variety of Childhood Vaccines
Institute of Medicine report
As with all vaccines, there can be minor reactions, including pain and redness at the injection site, headache, fatigue or a vague feeling of discomfort.
- Was the old pertussis vaccine safe?
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website - Questions about Multiple Vaccinations and the Immune System
- CDC's Vaccine Safety website
- What if we stopped vaccinating for this disease?
- Who should not be vaccinated with pertussis vaccine?
- Pregnancy guidelines
- Prevention of Pertussis...Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women and their Infants MMWR: August 1, 2008 / 57(RR06);1-19
- Prevention of Pertussis...Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women and their Infants MMWR: August 1, 2008 / 57(RR06);1-19
For Health Professionals
Clinical Information on Pertussis
- Clinical information NEW Aug 2010
Clinical features, treatment, disease specifics, complications, diagnostic testing... - Ask the Experts: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis
CDC experts answer your clinical questions (Immunization Action Coalition) - Vaccine Management: Recommendations for Storage and Handling of Selected Biologicals
Proper handling of Dt, Td, DTaP, DTaP/Hib, DTaP/Hepb/IPV, Tdap vaccines - Pediarix Vaccine: Questions and Answers
- Combined Tdap Vaccine
Adolescent, adult, and pregnancy-related recommendations and references
Vaccine Recommendations
Health officials now recommend that adults and adolescents receive a Tdap booster vaccine to protect against whooping cough. It is especially important for those in contact with infants younger than 12 months of age. Tdap booster is recomended instead of the previously recommended Td (tetanus-diphtheria) booster.- ACIP recommendations
- Summary of Vaccine Recommendations new Aug 2010
- Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Recommendations [PDF-68KB, 1 page]
Immunization Action Coalition, Posted Jul 2008 - Standing Orders for Administering Vaccines
Immunization Action Coalition - Contraindications Guide Posted Apr 2009
- ACIP - Vaccines for Children (VFC) Resolution
References and Resources
- Publications and references UPDATED Aug 2010
Chapters, manuals, guidelines, journal articles... - Journal articles on vaccine recommendations and licensures UPDATED Aug 2010
- Pink Book's chapter on Pertussis [PDF-522KB, 18 pages]
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases textbook - Surveillance manual's chapter on Pertussis
Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases textbook - Travelers' Health - Yellow Book
Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, etc. - Guidelines for the Control of Pertussis Outbreaks
- Check Your Vials: Is it Tdap, DTaP, or Td? [PDF-239KB, 1 page]
Source: California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch - Resources: E-cards, videos, print materials, podcasts... NEW Aug 2010
- Audio: Pertussis sounds NEW Aug 2010
It is important to know that not everyone with pertussis coughs or "whoops". - Package inserts
(Boostrix, Daptacel, Infanrix, Kinrix, Pediarix, Pentacel, Tripedia, and more package inserts...) Posted Feb 2010
Provider Education
- 2009 Clinical education slide set
[PPT - 277KB, 55 slides] Updated May 2009
from the 11th edition "Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases" course - CME: Does This Coughing Adolescent or Adult Patient Have Pertussis? NEW AUG 2010
2010 JAMA Article with CME - VIDEO – With Pertussis on the Rise, Who Needs a Tdap Vaccination? NEW Jul 2010
CDC Expert Commentary in Partnership with Medscape, 3:44 minutes - VIDEO - Pertussis: Recognition and Treatment
CDC Expert Commentary in Partnership with Medscape, 3:36 minutes - Podcasts UPDATED Aug 2010
Materials for Patients
- Print Materials
- Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Is Spreading in Your Community [PDF-830KB, 1 page] New Jul 2010
Ready-to-print, simple flyer - Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) (DTaP & Tdap)
- Pertussis: Questions and Answers [PDF-89KB, 3 pages]
Ready-to-print version of CDC-reviewed Q&A material from Immunization Action Coalition - Parents: Protect Yourself and Your Children from Whooping Cough [PDF-122KB, 1 page]
Flyer from California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch - Grandparents: Protect Yourself and Your Grandbaby from Whooping Cough [PDF-106KB, 1 page]
Flyer from California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch - Web Resources
- "Give Your Kids a Boost!" Whooping Cough Prevention Education Program
Resources to help educate parents, preteens, and teens about the need for a dose of Tdap for protection against pertussis from National Association of School Nurses (NASN) - Pertussis Case Histories
Stories of people who suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases from Immunization Action Coalition - In Spanish
- La Tos Ferina Se Está Propagando en Su Comunidad [PDF-1.3MB, 1 page] New Jul 2010
Ready-to-print, simple Spanish language flyer - Acalla los sonidos de la tos ferina
Spanish language educational materials from Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases and the National Latina Health Network
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Content last reviewed on June 1, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases