So the question is "What is whooping cough, and how serious is it?" So whooping cough is a respiratory infection caused by a bacteria. It's typically a 6 to 8 week illness. The first 2 weeks, you have a really nasty cold, and it seems just like a really nasty cold, then it sets in with a lot of coughing, including what's called paroxysms, or just really bad coughing spells. And then there's from 2 to 6 weeks after that where you just have a really bad cough and it doesn't stop. For older children and adults, it's not a dangerous or serious illness. It's a very persistent illness, and it does not respond to antibiotics, so it's very miserable. So one good reason to get vaccinated is so you don't have to suffer through that. But if a small infant catches whooping cough, there's about a 10% fatality rate even in our current day and age. It's one of the most challenging situations I've ever taken care of in the hospital to watch a tiny baby on a ventilator who's very difficult to ventilate and difficult to keep the airway clear. So whooping cough vaccines for adults and older children are aimed at preventing the spread and helping protect the baby. The vaccines for the infants are to help protect them as much as possible, which is why it's important to get them as early in life as possible.
