The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat (a high temperature is uncommon).
After about a week, you or your child:
The cough may last for several weeks or months.
Check symptoms on 111 online (for children aged 5 and over) or call 111 (for children under 5).
Babies under 12 months old with whooping cough have an increased chance of having problems such as:
Whooping cough is less severe in older children and adults but coughing may cause problems including:
Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
Bring any medicines you take with you.
Treatment for whooping cough depends on your age and how long you've had the infection.
Hospital treatment is usually needed if you have severe whooping cough, or your baby is under 6 months old and has whooping cough.
If whooping cough is diagnosed within 2 weeks of your cough starting, you'll be given antibiotics to help stop it spreading to others.
Some healthcare and nursery workers may be given antibiotics within 3 weeks of the cough starting.
Antibiotics may not reduce symptoms.
Keep taking the antibiotics until you've completed the course, even if you feel better. Stopping treatment too soon could lead to the infection coming back.
There are some things you can do to help ease the symptoms of whooping cough.
get plenty of rest
drink lots of fluids
take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you or your child are uncomfortable – check the leaflet if you're not sure it's suitable for you or your child
do not give aspirin to children under the age of 16 years
If you have whooping cough, you're contagious for up to 3 weeks after the coughing starts.
If you start antibiotics within 2 weeks of starting to cough, it will reduce the time you're contagious for.
Stay off school, work or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or 2 weeks after your cough started if you've not had antibiotics.
If you're a healthcare or nursery worker and work with young babies or pregnant women, stay off work for 3 weeks after your cough started if you've not had antibiotics.
The whooping cough vaccine protects babies and children from getting whooping cough. That's why it's important to have all the routine NHS vaccinations.
The whooping cough vaccine is routinely given as part of the:
If you're pregnant you should also have the whooping cough vaccine. You usually have it when you're around 20 weeks pregnant. This helps protect your baby for the first few weeks of their life.
Speak to your GP surgery or midwife if you're 20 weeks pregnant and have not been offered the whooping cough vaccine.