Whooping cough

Is whooping cough worse than usual anywhere?

At or below its usual in every country that reports it.

What is whooping cough?

A lung and airway infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It spreads very easily and is most dangerous for babies.

Signs
Starts like a cold with mild fever, runny nose and cough. Then come hard coughing fits, often followed by a 'whoop' sound when breathing in.
How it spreads
Through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People spread it most in the first three weeks of coughing.
How to protect yourself
Vaccinate babies with DTP vaccine from 6 weeks old, with a later booster. Vaccinating pregnant women protects newborns too young for the vaccine.
Get medical help
Get care quickly for any baby with a bad cough, or anyone with coughing fits. It can lead to pneumonia; antibiotics treat it.

In Dooram's words, from the World Health Organization. Source: Pertussis (WHO health topic), read 8 October 2026. General information, not medical advice.

When does whooping cough usually peak?

  • PakistanAround January: it peaked in January 2024 and February 2025.

What "usual" means.

Sources. Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division, National Institutes of Health, Islamabad, weekly report.