Guidance

Pertussis factsheet

Updated 21 May 2026

Applies to England

Whooping cough (pertussis) factsheet

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough is a chest infection caused by the ‘pertussis’ bacteria. It makes people have long, strong coughing fits. The cough can last for weeks or months.

Anyone can get whooping cough, but it is most dangerous for babies. It is especially dangerous for babies under 6 months because they can struggle to breathe.

Vaccination is the best way to protect babies, children, and pregnant people from serious illness.

How whooping cough spreads

Whooping cough spreads very easily from person to person. It passes on through coughing, sneezing, or close face‑to‑face contact.

A person can infect other people from 2 to 4 days before they start to cough to around 21 days after coughing starts.

Symptoms of whooping cough

Early symptoms (first 1 to 2 weeks)

At first, whooping cough looks like a common cold. Symptoms include:

• a runny or blocked nose
• a sore throat
• a mild cough
• little or no fever

Later symptoms

After about a week, the cough becomes more severe. Symptoms include:

• strong coughing fits that are hard to stop
• coughing that is worse at night
• a ‘whoop’ sound when breathing in (not everyone has this)
• vomiting after coughing
• feeling very tired

In babies

Babies may:

• pause in breathing
• turn blue or grey around the lips
• have seizures (fits)

This is an emergency – get urgent medical help by calling 999 or going to A&E.

How to stop the spread of whooping cough

You can help protect others, especially babies and pregnant people, by doing these things:

• cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
• wash hands often
• avoid close contact with young babies and pregnant people if you are unwell
• stay off school, work or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or 3 weeks after your cough started if you’ve not had antibiotics

Vaccine

The whooping cough vaccine protects babies and children from getting whooping cough. The whooping cough vaccine is given as part of the:

• 6-in-1 vaccine – for children at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks with a further dose at 18 months for children born on or after 1 July 2024
• 4-in-1 pre-school booster – for children aged 3 years 4 months

If you’re pregnant you should also have the whooping cough vaccine. This helps protect your baby from birth, before they are old enough to have their own vaccinations. You usually have it when you’re around 20 weeks pregnant, but it can be given later.

Speak to your GP surgery or midwife if you’re 20 weeks pregnant and have not been offered the whooping cough vaccine.

Treatment

Antibiotics

• antibiotics are used to stop the infection spreading to others
• they work best if started soon after you begin coughing, but can be given up to 3 weeks after the cough started
• antibiotics can take time to stop the cough, but the cough will slowly improve over time
• the cough may continue even if you have had antibiotics but after 2 days of antibiotics you are much less likely to pass on the infection to others

Care at home

• most people recover without needing to go to hospital
• rest and drink fluids
• if you have been given antibiotics, take these as recommended
• the cough can last a long time, even after treatment

Hospital care

• babies under 6 months or anyone with breathing problems may need hospital treatment for monitoring and support
• if you have concerns about yourself or your child seek advice from your GP, NHS 111 or in an emergency from the hospital

Further advice

For more further information see:

• Whooping cough (NHS)