Infections of the respiratory tract such as whooping cough (pertussis) are highly contagious. An acute hacking cough is often accompanied by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like "whoop." It was thought that whooping cough was a childhood disease before the vaccine was developed. In today's world, whooping cough primarily affects children too young to have received the full course of vaccinations, as well as teenagers and adults whose immunity has waned. Deaths caused by whooping cough are rare, but most often occur in infants. Pregnant women and others who will have close contact with infants should be vaccinated against whooping cough. Even though a vaccine against whooping cough has been developed, it still occurs, especially among infants younger than 6 months of age. When you have come into contact with someone who has whooping cough, your doctor may recommend antibiotics to protect against infection, particularly if you are in frequent contact with an at-risk individual or are a health care provider. Columbia Urgent Care offers treatment for pertussis, so contact us today through our website to get the right medical attention you need. We serve patients from Portland OR, PDX, Happy Valley OR, Tigard OR, Milwaukie OR, Cedar Hills OR, Cedar Mill OR, Lake Oswego OR, Oak Grove OR, Vancouver WA, Aloha OR, Minnehaha WA, Gladstone OR, Tualatin OR, West Linn OR, Fairview OR, Oregon City OR.