Download the Healthier Together App from the App Store or Google Play.
Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is very easy to catch (infectious). It is a bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. It is spread in the droplets of the coughs or sneezes of someone with the infection.
It causes repeated coughing bouts. The cough can last for 2 to 3 months or more, and can make babies and young children in particular very ill.
Immunisations can help protect your child from severe infection (although your child may still get pertussis even if they are fully immunised).
Whooping cough can affect people of any age, including:
You can get whooping cough if you come into close contact with someone with the infection.
A person with whooping cough is infectious from about 6 days after they were infected – when they just have cold-like symptoms – until three weeks after the coughing bouts start.
Antibiotic treatment does not stop the cough but can reduce the length of time someone is infectious and stop the spread.
1) The first symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a cold, such as a runny nose, red and watery eyes, a sore throat, and a slightly raised temperature. This is called the catarrhal phase and it lasts about 1-2 weeks with the cough gradually becoming more severe.
2) Intense coughing bouts start about a week later. The bouts usually last a few minutes at a time and tend to be more common at night. Coughing usually brings up thick mucus and may be followed by vomiting. Between coughing bouts, you or your child may gasp for breath – this may cause a ‘whoop’ sound, although not everyone has this. The strain of coughing can cause the face to become very red, and there may be some slight bleeding under the skin or in the eyes. This is called the paroxysmal phase and it can last between 1-6 weeks. The coughing bouts occur frequently at night, with an average of 15 attacks per 24 hours. They increase in frequency during the first 1 to 2 weeks. Young children can sometimes briefly appear blue – this often looks worse than it is and their colour should return to normal quickly. In very young babies, the cough may not be particularly noticeable, but there may be brief periods where they stop breathing.
3) The bouts will eventually start to become less severe and less frequent over time, but it may be a few months before they stop completely. This is called the convalescent phase. The cough associated with pertussis can be particularly persistent and challenging. It is not uncommon for the cough to last for 10 weeks or more, even with treatment. This is often referred to as the "100-day cough."
Go to the nearest Hospital Emergency (A&E) Department or phone 999
Please ring your GP surgery or call NHS 111 - dial 111
Continue providing your child’s care at home. If you are still concerned about your child, call NHS 111 – dial 111
Treatment for whooping cough depends on your age and how long you’ve had the infection.
Children under 6 months who are very ill and people with severe symptoms will usually be admitted to hospital for treatment.
People diagnosed during the first 3 weeks of infection may be prescribed antibiotics to take at home. These will help stop the infection spreading to others, but may not reduce the symptoms.
People who’ve had whooping cough for more than 3 weeks won’t normally need any specific treatment, as they’re no longer contagious and antibiotics are unlikely to help.
While you’re recovering at home, it can help to get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, clean away mucus and sick from your or your child’s mouth, and take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for a fever.
Avoid using cough medicines, as they’re not suitable for young children and are unlikely to be of much help.
If you or your child are taking antibiotics for whooping cough, you need to be careful not to spread the infection to others.
Other members of your household may also be given antibiotics and a dose of the whooping cough vaccine to stop them becoming infected.
There are 3 routine vaccinations that can protect babies and children from whooping cough:
These vaccines don’t offer lifelong protection from whooping cough, but they can help stop children getting it when they’re young and more vulnerable to the effects of the infection.
Older children and adults aren’t routinely vaccinated, except during pregnancy or a whooping cough outbreak.
Babies and young children under 6 months are usually most severely affected by whooping cough.
They’re at an increased risk of:
Older children and adults tend to be less severely affected, although they may experience problems caused by repeated coughing, such as nosebleeds, bruised ribs or a hernia.
A&E departments provide vital care for life-threatening emergencies, such as loss of consciousness, suspected heart attacks, breathing difficulties, or severe bleeding that cannot be stopped. If you’re not sure it’s an emergency, call 111 for advice.
If you’re not sure which NHS service you need, call 111. An adviser will ask you questions to assess your symptoms and then give you the advice you need, or direct you straightaway to the best service for you in your area.
Use NHS 111 if you are unsure what to do next, have any questions about a condition or treatment or require information about local health services.
For information on common childhood illnesses go to What is wrong with my child?
GPs assess, treat and manage a whole range of health problems. They also provide health education, give vaccinations and carry out simple surgical procedures. Your GP will arrange a referral to a hospital specialist should you need it.
You have a choice of service:
School nurses care for children and young people, aged 5-19, and their families, to ensure their health needs are supported within their school and community. They work closely with education staff and other agencies to support parents, carers and the children and young people, with physical and/or emotional health needs.
Contacting the School Nurse
Primary and secondary schools have an allocated school nurse – telephone your child’s school to ask for the contact details of your named school nurse.
There is also a specialist nurse who works with families who choose to educate their children at home.
Before your child starts school your health visitor will meet with the school nursing team to transfer their care to the school nursing service. The school nursing team consists of a school nursing lead, specialist public health practitioners and school health staff nurses.
They all have a role in preventing disease and promoting health and wellbeing, by:-
Each member of the team has links with many other professionals who also work with children including community paediatricians, child and adolescent mental health teams, health visitors and speech and language therapists. The school health nursing service also forms part of the multi-agency services for children, young people and families where there are child protection or safeguarding issues.
Health visitors are nurses or midwives who are passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing illness through the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme. They work with you through your pregnancy up until your child is ready to start school.
Health Visitors can also make referrals for you to other health professionals for example hearing or vision concerns or to the Community Paediatricians or to the child and adolescent mental health services.
Contact them by phoning your Health Visitor Team or local Children’s Centre.
Health visitors also provide advice, support and guidance in caring for your child, including:
For more information watch the video: What does a health visitor do?
Pharmacists are experts in many aspects of healthcare and can offer advice on a wide range of long-term conditions and common illnesses such as coughs, colds and stomach upsets. You don’t need an appointment and many have private consultation areas, so they are a good first port of call. Your pharmacist will say if you need further medical attention.
You can treat your child's very minor illnesses and injuries at home.
Some illnesses can be treated in your own home with support and advice from the services listed when required, using the recommended medicines and getting plenty of rest.
Children can recover from illness quickly but also can become more poorly quickly; it is important to seek further advice if a child's condition gets worse.
