What is pertussis?

Also known as: whooping cough.

Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is a very contagious bacterial disease that affects all ages but is particularly worrying (even deadly) in infants under 1 year of age.

Vaccination is very effective in preventing the disease but it still affects many children who have not completed their vaccinations or adults whose immunity has decreased.  With loss of immunity (vaccination immunity diminishes over time) a child/adult can get pertussis more than once.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM