Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious disease. Worldwide, it kills about 250,000 children every year. In Australia, more than 4,000 cases of whooping cough are notified each year. Babies are at risk from birth because there is no natural transfer of protection from mother to baby before birth. Children less than one year old are the most vulnerable. Very young babies may not have the typical cough, but may have episodes where they stop breathing. Six out of ten children younger than one year old who get whooping cough will need to be admitted to hospital and many will need long periods in intensive care and one in 250 will die of the disease.
