The cough may end in gagging, vomiting or trouble breathing. It takes a long time for children to get over pertussis. They are usually sick for 6 to 10 weeks. The disease is most severe in infants younger than one year of age. Many of these infants become so sick that they have to be cared for in hospital.
Pertussis spreads very easily from person to person in the same household or day nursery.
The germs are spread through the air when a person coughs. This infectious period can be reduced to five days with antibiotic treatment. It will take 7-14 days to come down with pertussis after coming in contact with someone who has it. Pertussis can be prevented with a vaccine. All children should be vaccinated.