Question:"Can adults get whooping cough? I thought it was just a kid's disease."
You're right. It was thought of as just a kids' disease — years ago. But times have changed and now adults are the ones who are more susceptible to pertussis (aka whooping cough), and reported cases among adults have been growing. Whooping cough — a serious contagious disease that can cause violent rapid coughing and a signature "whoop" sound when patients gasp for breath — used to occur mostly in babies and young children. But now, since most little ones are immunized against the disease (thanks to the DTaP combo vaccine), it's grown-ups who are vulnerable, either because they weren't immunized as children or because their vaccine protection has worn off over time (immunity typically fades five to ten years after the last childhood vaccination).
Pertussis can be difficult to diagnose because early symptoms are similar to the common cold. It usually starts with a runny nose, sneezing, slight cough, and low-grade fever — lasting a week to ten days. Then the coughing becomes severe, resulting in fits of numerous, rapid coughs (called paroxysms) that can persist for weeks (or months) and even lead to vomiting or cracked ribs and a trip to the hospital. The disease's signature "whoop" sound, which is common in children, is less common in adults and overall the symptoms are milder — making diagnosis in adults even trickier.
The good news is that pertussis can be prevented in adults the same way it is in children — with a vaccine. And a shot in the arm is a smart thing for any parent to consider (especially one whose child hasn't yet had a full course of immunizations), because pertussis is highly contagious (particularly before the coughing symptoms appear) and very dangerous to babies (it can lead to pneumonia, seizures, hospitalization, or worse). If you aren't pregnant, talk to your doctor about getting a pertussis booster vaccine known as Tdap (the adult version of DTaP), which also protects against two other infectious diseases — tetanus and diphtheria (so you get a booster bonus!). If you are pregnant, ask your doctor about getting one right after you deliver to protect yourself from contracting this painful and dangerous illness and passing it on to your newborn or the rest of your family. (It, like other vaccines, is safe to receive even if you're breastfeeding.)
Here's to protecting you and your family,