Whooping cough vaccination

Whooping cough is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Infection occurs from person to person through coughing and sneezing. The incubation period is 7 to 10 days, sometimes longer. Whooping cough is highly contagious, especially in the initial period when coughing has not yet started. Coughing patients are contagious for 3 to 4 weeks after the coughing has started. Within a family, the chance of someone with whooping cough infecting the other (unvaccinated) family members is 90%. Happiness, lethargy, coughing. Short successive long and violent coughs with tough mucus, and long, whooping breaths. Shortness of breath, turning blue and sometimes vomiting due to the coughing fits. Prolonged coughing can cause oxygen deprivation and brain haemorrhage, resulting in brain damage. Permanent damage to the lungs can also occur. Especially for babies, the disease can be fatal because of the breathing stops that occur. Children with severe heart or lung abnormalities are at higher risk of complications. There is no treatment for whooping cough. Antibiotic treatment can cause the infectious period to shorten. This is only true if the treatment is started early. The cure has little effect on the duration and severity of the disease.