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.
On This Page:
For Health Professionals:
What You Should Know
- Pertussis (Whooping Cough) – What You Need To Know also available in español
- Brief description
Symptoms, treatment, transmission, etc. - Questions and Answers
- Questions and Answers for Parents also available in
español
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) - Whooping Cough (pertussis)
AdultImmunization.org - Pertussis Vaccine Questions & Answers
Immunization Action Coalition
- Questions and Answers for Parents also available in
español
- About pertussis and pertussis vaccination (131KB)
Parent's Guide to Childhood Immunization (screen-reader version) - Pictures of Pertussis
Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic. - Travelers' Health - Yellow Book
Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, etc.
Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis Vaccines
There are four combination vaccines used to prevent diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis: DTaP, Tdap, DT, and Td. Two of these (DTaP and DT) are 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. DT does not contain pertussis, and is used as a substitute for DTaP for children who cannot tolerate pertussis vaccine.
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
- As an infant, preteen/adolescent or adult, do I need this vaccine?
Describes when and which vaccine you should receive - Side effects of vaccine
Excerpt from Vaccine Information Statement
- Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) (DTaP & Tdap)
- Ask the Experts: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis
CDC experts answer your clinical questions (Immunization Action Coalition) - School Vaccine Requirements
- SIDS Not Linked to Number & Variety of Childhood Vaccines
Institute of Medicine report - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Vaccines
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.
- Are vaccines safe?
FAQs on The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website - Frequently Asked Questions about Multiple Vaccinations and the Immune System
- CDC's Vaccine Safety website
- Hot Topics
Vaccine safety topics on The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website - Lessening the Pain of Vaccines
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- 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: May 14, 2008 / 57(Early Release);1-47
For Health Professionals
Clinical Information on Pertussis
- Technical information
Clinical Features, Etiologic Agent, Incidence, Complications, Transmission, Risk Groups, Surveillance, Trends, Challenges, etc. - Ask
the Experts
Immunization Action Coalition - Immunization of Healthcare Workers
- 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 - NIPINFO answers your questions about Dtap, Td, and DT
- NIPINFO answers your questions about Pediarix
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
- Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Recommendations (55KB)
Immunization Action Coalition, July 2008 - Standing Orders for Administering Vaccines
Immunization Action Coalition - Contraindications Guide April 2009
- ACIP - Vaccines for Children (VFC) Resolution
References and Resources
- Related MMWR articles, links, and references
- More MMWRs on DTaP
- Pink Book's chapter on Pertussis
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
- Infection Control Guidelines
- Check Your Vials: Is it Tdap, DTaP, or Td? (233KB)
Source: California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch - Pertussis (Whooping Cough): Resources (posters)
Source: California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch
Provider Education
- 2009 Clinical education slide set (277KB) Updated May 2009
from the 11th edition "Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases" course - Podcasts
Materials for Patients
- Important
Facts for Parents to Know about the DTaP Vaccine (51KB)
National Network for Immunization Information - Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) (DTaP & Tdap)
- "Give Your Kids
a Boost!" Whooping Cough Prevention Education Program
National Association of School Nurses (NASN) offers resources to help educate parents, preteens, and teens about the need for a dose of Tdap for protection against pertussis. - Parents: Protect Yourself and Your Children from Whooping Cough (Flyer) (118KB)
California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch - Grandparents: Protect Yourself and Your Grandbaby from Whooping Cough (Flyer) (103KB)
California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch - Pertussis Case Histories
Stories of people who suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases; source: Immunization Action Coalition - Pertussis: Questions and Answers (86KB)
Ready-to-print version of CDC-reviewed Q&A material located on IAC's Vaccine Information website, Feb 2009 - Tos ferina (Pertusis o Tos convulsa) - Las vacunas y las enfermedades que previenen
Spanish language materials, National Network for Immunization Information
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Content last reviewed on June 1, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases