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. 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
- All about the disease Updated Aug 2010
Symptoms, treatment, prevention, complications, transmission, etc. - Kid-friendly fact sheet Posted Aug 2010
Audio: Hear the whooping cough sound Posted Aug 2010
It is important to know that not everyone with pertussis coughs or "whoops."- Pertussis: Unprotected Story
Parents tell true story of how pertussis sickened their child and impacted their family. - Pertussis Outbreaks – Questions and Answers
- 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. - Whooping Cough (Pertussis) basics
Fact sheet offers overview of Pertussis disease and vaccine risks and benefits
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. Adolescents 11-18 years of age (preferably at age 11-12 years) and adults 19 through 64 years of age should receive a single dose of Tdap. For adults 65 and older who have close contact with an infant and have not previously received Tdap, one dose should be received. Tdap should also be given to 7-10 year olds who are not fully immunized against pertussis. Tdap can be given no matter when Td was last received. Updated Jan 2011
(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.)
- 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 Posted 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
- Update Recommendations for Use of...(Tdap) in Pregnant Women and...Close Contact with an Infant Aged <12 Months MMWR: October 21, 2011 / 60(41);1424-6
- Update Recommendations for Use of...(Tdap) in Pregnant Women and...Close Contact with an Infant Aged <12 Months MMWR: October 21, 2011 / 60(41);1424-6
For Health Professionals
Clinical Information on Pertussis
- Clinical information Posted 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) - Outbreaks and pseudo outbreaks of pertussis
- 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 recommended instead of the previously recommended Td (tetanus-diphtheria) booster.- ACIP recommendations (includes recommendations for DTaP, Hib and DTP, Tdap, and, Tdap and Td Vaccines and Pregnancy)
- Summary of Vaccine Recommendations Posted Aug 2010
- Tdap for Pregnant Women
- 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
- Proper storage and handling of vaccines UPDATED Dec 2011
CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling guide includes shelf life, reconstitution instructions... - 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
- Childhood Whooping Cough Vaccine Protects Most Children for at least 5 Years [PDF-109KB, 1 page] Updated Oct 2011
Formatted, ready-to-print matte release summarizes a recent large study that shows DTaP vaccines do a very good job of protecting 4 through 10 year old children from pertussis. - Pink Book's chapter on Pertussis (Updated April 2011)
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 12th Edition - 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... Posted Aug 2010
- Audio: Pertussis sounds Posted 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
- CME: Does This Coughing Adolescent or Adult Patient Have Pertussis?
Posted Aug 2010
2010 JAMA Article with CME - VIDEO – Tdap: Now for Pregnant Women and 65 Plus
Posted Oct 2011
CDC Expert Commentary in Partnership with Medscape, 4:11 minutes - VIDEO – With Pertussis on the Rise, Who Needs a Tdap Vaccination?
Posted Jul 2010
CDC Expert Commentary in Partnership with Medscape, 3:44 minutes - VIDEO - Pertussis: Recognition and Treatment
Posted Jan 2010
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] Posted 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
- Información detallada sobre la tos ferina (pertussis)
[Color version - 318KB, 2 pages]; [Black and white version - 322KB, 2 pages]
This two-sided fact sheet provides parents with detailed information about pertussis, DTaP vaccine, and includes a real story about a family affected by pertussis. - La fotonovela Hablando de Vacunas [PDF-2MB, 15 pages]
This Spanish language fotonovela follows Lupe, a mother of a young child, as she learns the importance of keeping her son up-to-date on his vaccinations. There is an emphasis on pertussis prevention messages. - La Tos Ferina Se Está Propagando en Su Comunidad [PDF-1.3MB, 1 page]
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 August 26, 2010
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases