Whooping Cough Vaccination

A picture of a young girl and baby surrounded by their parents and grandparents.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, can be a serious disease for people of all ages but especially for babies. Whooping cough vaccines offer the best protection against this very contagious disease. Make sure you and your loved ones are up to date with your whooping cough vaccines.

Two vaccines in the United States help prevent whooping cough: DTaP and Tdap. These vaccines also provide protection against tetanus and diphtheria. Children younger than 7 years old get DTaP, while older children, teens, and adults get Tdap.

CDC Recommends Whooping Cough Vaccines for People of All Ages

The vaccine recommended for someone depends on their age. The graphic below gives information, by age, about CDC’s whooping cough vaccine recommendations.

Graphic depicting young children, preteens, pregnant women, and adults, all of which need whooping cough vaccines.

Whooping Cough Vaccines Are Safe

Pregnancy and Whooping Cough

Learn more about whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy…

Most people who get a whooping cough vaccine do not have any serious problems with it. However, side effects can occur. Most side effects are mild, meaning they do not affect daily activities. See the DTaP and Tdap vaccine information statements to learn more about the most common side effects.