Pertussis (whooping cough)

What is pertussis?

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a very contagious bacterial infection of the airways.

How is pertussis spread?

Pertussis is very contagious and is spread through coughing and sneezing.

What are the symptoms of pertussis?

Pertussis starts like a common cold, with sneezing, runny nose, mild fever and a mild cough. Over the next week or two, the cough becomes more severe and leads to intense coughing spells that often end with a “whoop,” which is where the name whooping cough comes from.

The cough can cause gagging or vomiting of mucus and can make it hard to catch a breath. The cough may last for several months and usually occurs more often at night.

Hear what a pertussis cough sounds like.

What are the risks of pertussis?

Complications from pertussis occur more often in infants and can include:

• Infection of the lungs (pneumonia)
• swelling of the brain (encephalitis) which can cause seizures and brain damage
• Death (1 in 170 infants)

How can I prevent getting pertussis?

The best way to not get pertussis is to get immunized. The pertussis vaccine is combined with other vaccines to protect against several diseases in one shot. The pertussis vaccine is safe. It is much safer to get the vaccine than to get the disease. When you get immunized, you help protect others as well.

The pertussis vaccine is given free (publicly funded) as part of the B.C. routine immunization schedule.

Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends a booster dose for adults. This adult booster dose is not publicly funded (not free) in B.C. Speak to your family doctor or local pharmacist about getting your adult booster shot today.

Get immunized against pertussis by making an appointment with your doctor, pharmacist (for those 5 years and older) or Public Health.

Learn where to get immunized and how to book an appointment