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Whooping cough: the signs, early treatment, protecting babies, and the vaccines
For anyone worried about whooping cough (pertussis) in themselves, a baby or a child. CDC says it is very contagious, that it may begin like a common cold but the coughing can last for weeks or months, and that babies younger than 1 year are at greatest risk. This page passes on, by name, what five CDC pages say: why early treatment matters, the signs week by week (and why babies may not cough at all), what to do after being near it, when to get care now, caring for it at home, and the DTaP and Tdap vaccines: who gets them, when (including in every pregnancy), and how to pay. It builds the words to say to a doctor’s office, a school or shelter staff, and prints a card of the dates to keep.
Right now
- A baby who stops breathing, turns blue, or is struggling to breathe: call 911 now (that line is ours). CDC says many babies with whooping cough do not cough at all, and may have life-threatening pauses in breathing instead.
- Trouble breathing at any age? CDC says seek immediate care.
- Coughing violently, or fits of coughing with a whoop or vomiting? CDC says see a healthcare provider. Early antibiotics, before the coughing fits begin, can make it less serious and help stop the spread.
- Near someone with whooping cough? CDC says talk to a provider about preventive antibiotics.
More help
- Another cough or illness: Coughs and colds in a baby or child · Fever in a baby or child · Measles · All our pages on a baby’s or child’s health.
- Pregnant: Pregnant, or with a new baby. No insurance: When you need a doctor and can’t pay.
- A place to stay: A place to stay.
- All our free tools.
Looking after a baby or child? The pages on this site for a baby or child, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 14, 2026 on five CDC whooping cough pages on cdc.gov: About Whooping Cough (updated June 24, 2026), Symptoms of Whooping Cough, Treatment of Whooping Cough, Whooping Cough Vaccination and Whooping Cough Vaccine Recommendations (each updated December 2, 2025). Ours: the 911 line for a baby (CDC says seek immediate care for breathing difficulties), asking shelter staff for a place apart, calling the health department about cost, and the order of the steps. What we left out: antibiotic, cough medicine and vaccine brand names, home remedies beyond CDC’s own home-care list, case counts, and CDC’s pages for clinicians. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.