By Alaina Kortokrax, Pharmacist and Karen L. Kier, Pharmacist
On behalf of ONU Healthwise Pharmacy 

In 1578, Dr. Guillaume de Baillou of France recorded the first known outbreak of whooping cough in Paris. The cough has a high-pitched whoop sound lending itself to the common name of whooping cough. The medical term for whooping cough is pertussis. Due to the long duration of the cough from 6-10 weeks or longer, whooping cough has also been referred to as the 100-day cough.

Prior to a vaccine for pertussis being released in the United States in 1914, almost 95% of the population would contract whooping cough. In the early 1900s, over 200,000 people would become ill with 10,000 deaths being recorded. In 1948, the pertussis vaccine was combined with diphtheria and tetanus vaccines. The combined vaccine is still available today.  

The CDC and Ohio health departments have issued warnings about the increase in cases of pertussis. The CDC indicated a 6 times high rate of pertussis by December 28, 2024 compared to the same time in 2023. Ohio’s numbers are the highest reported since 2010. 

Whooping cough or pertussis gets its name from the sound people make when they are desperately trying to breathe between coughing fits. Caused by a bacterium, the infection starts out similar to a cold with a runny nose, low-grade fever, tiredness, sneezing, and a mild cough. After about one to two weeks, patients start to experience coughing fits. In addition to the sound, patients might vomit during or after fits, feel tired but seem well in-between fits. In addition, individuals could have trouble sleeping at night, struggle to breathe or break ribs because of how hard they cough.

Babies and children are at the highest risk for complications from whooping cough. About 1 in 3 babies younger than one year old with whooping cough require treatment in a hospital. Babies under one-year old can experience some of the most serious complications including life-threatening pauses in breathing, pneumonia, seizures and brain infections. About 1 in every 100 babies in the hospital because of whooping cough die from these complications. Teens and adults are less likely to experience these complications, but they risk spreading the infection to others.

Vaccination is the number one way to protect yourself and those around you from whooping cough. Vaccinated adults are even less likely to experience complications and less likely to spread the infection to anyone who is vulnerable, like babies or adults with weakened immune systems. Pertussis vaccines come in combinations that cover whooping cough known as DTaP and Tdap. The “T” stands for tetanus and the “D” for diphtheria, two more serious infections caused by bacteria. DTaP is the vaccine for children, while adults get the Tdap vaccine. 

Children under 7 years of age should receive DTaP. The recommended schedule is to give the first dose at 2 months followed by doses at 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months, and 4-6 years old.  For children over 7 years of age and adults, they should receive Tdap as a single dose. The vaccines do lose their protective properties over time and this requires a booster shot, which should be given every ten years.  

There are a few important exceptions with the Tdap vaccine. If someone has suffered a significant cut or wound especially from a metal source such as a nail and it has been at least 5 years since their last Tdap vaccine, then another Tdap should be given. Because infants have the highest risk of complications and do not get their first dose until 2 months of age, pregnant women should get a Tdap vaccine between 27-36 weeks of their pregnancy.  The mother can pass the protection of the antibodies to the infant to reduce the risk of serious disease. Another protective measure for babies is to have anyone caring or visiting the baby to receive a recent Tdap vaccine. 

Protect from the 100-day cough and talk to your healthcare provider.