Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Vaccination

Pronounced (per-TUS-iss)

At a Glance

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 DTaP and Tdap protect against whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria.

 

What You Should Know

About the Disease

• Pertussis (Whooping Cough) – What You Need To Know also available in español
• All about the disease
  Symptoms, treatment, prevention, complications, transmission, etc.
• Kid-friendly fact sheet
• Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Sounds
  Watch video and hear sounds of coughing due to pertussis
• 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
  • In English
  • En Español

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Vaccine Information

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 through 18 months and 4 through 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 through 18 years of age (preferably at age 11-12 years) should receive a single dose of Tdap. One dose of Tdap is also recommended for adults 19 years of age and older who did not get Tdap as an adolescent. Expectant mothers should receive Tdap during each pregnancy, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks. 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 Aug 2013

(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)
• Pertussis Vaccine for Pregnant Women
  Describes why pregnant women should get Tdap vaccine and how else to protect young babies from whooping cough.
• Side effects of vaccines (DTaP & Tdap)
  Excerpt from Vaccine Information Statement
  
• Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)  (DTaP & Tdap)
• How to Hold Your Child during Vaccinations
• Pertussis Frequently Asked Questions
• Immunization Requirements for Child Care and School

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Beliefs & Concerns

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Vaccines
• SIDS Not Linked to Number & Variety of Childhood Vaccines
  Institute of Medicine report

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Vaccine Safety

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.

• Questions about Multiple Vaccinations and the Immune System
• CDC's Vaccine Safety website
  • concerns | report a suspected vaccine reaction

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Who Should Not be Vaccinated?

• What if we stopped vaccinating with DTaP or Tdap vaccines?
• Who should not be vaccinated with pertussis vaccine?

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For Health Professionals

Clinical Information on Pertussis

• Clinical information
  Clinical features, treatment, disease specifics, complications, diagnostic testing...
• Ask the Experts: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis
  CDC experts answer your clinical questions (Immunization Action Coalition)
• Outbreaks of pertussis
• Pediarix Vaccine: Questions and Answers
• Combined Tdap Vaccine
  Adolescent, adult, and pregnancy-related recommendations and references

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Vaccine Recommendations

Health officials now recommend that adults and adolescents receive one dose of the Tdap booster vaccine to protect against whooping cough. It is especially important that those in contact with infants younger than 12 months of age are up-to-date with pertussis vaccinations. The Tdap booster is recommended in place of one dose of the Td (tetanus-diphtheria) booster.

• Letter to Providers: Tdap and Influenza Vaccination of Pregnant Women [2 pages] October 9, 2014
• ACIP recommendations (includes recommendations for DTaP, Hib and DTP, Tdap, and, Tdap and Td Vaccines and Pregnancy)
• Summary of Vaccine Recommendations
• Tdap for Pregnant Women
• Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Recommendations [1 page]
  Immunization Action Coalition
• Standing Orders for Administering Vaccines
  Immunization Action Coalition
• Contraindications Guide
• ACIP - Vaccines for Children (VFC) Resolution

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References and Resources

• Publications and references
  Chapters, manuals, guidelines, journal articles...
• Journal articles on vaccine recommendations and licensures
• Childhood Whooping Cough Vaccine Protects Most Children for at least 5 Years [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 May 2012)
  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.
• Pertussis Postexposure Antimicrobial Prophylaxis
• Check Your Vials: Is it Tdap, DTaP, or Td? [1 page]
  Source: California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch
• Resources: E-cards, videos, print materials, podcasts...
• Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Sounds
  Watch video and hear sounds of coughing due to pertussis
• Consult package inserts for vaccine storage and handling guidance: (Boostrix>, Daptacel, Infanrix>, Kinrix>, Pediarix, Pentacel>, Tripedia, and more package inserts...)
  Includes proper storage and handing details, shelf life, reconstitution instructions...

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Provider Education

• CME: Coughing up the Facts on Pertussis - Emerging Trends and Vaccine Recommendations
  Posted May 2012
  CDC Current Issues in Immunization NetConference
• CME: Does This Coughing Adolescent or Adult Patient Have Pertussis?
  Posted Aug 2010
  2010 JAMA Article with CME
• VIDEO – Protecting Patients From Deadly Pertussis: Updated Vaccine Guidelines
  Posted Mar 2013
  CDC Expert Commentary in Partnership with Medscape, 5:59 minutes
• VIDEO - Pertussis: Recognition and Treatment
  Posted Jan 2010
  CDC Expert Commentary in Partnership with Medscape, 3:36 minutes

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Materials for Patients

• Print Materials
• Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Is Spreading in Your Community [1 page]
  Updated Sep 2013
  Ready-to-print, simple flyer
• Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)  (DTaP & Tdap)
• Pertussis: Questions and Answers [3 pages]
  Ready-to-print version of CDC-reviewed Q&A material from Immunization Action Coalition
• Grandparents: Protect Yourself and Your Grandbaby from Whooping Cough [1 page]
  Flyer from California Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch
• Web Resources
• Pregnancy and Whooping Cough
  Information about the best way to protect newborns from pertussis, including safety, side effects, and efficacy of receiving Tdap during pregnancy.
• 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 - 2 pages]; [Black and white version - 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 Tos Ferina Se Está Propagando en Su Comunidad [1 page] Updated Sep 2013
  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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