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'100-day cough' is spreading across the UK – how to spot the signs in your child

First published on Friday 8 December 2023

Baby in doctors and child with a cold

Charlie Bond

Netmums contributor

Here’s everything you need to know about the highly contagious cough, including the five key symptoms parents need to look out for

As we get further into winter and temperatures continue to drop, the number of nasty bugs doing the rounds start to rise.

And while it’s common to see bouts of colds and flu, there’s a fresh warning about a '100-day cough' that has already hit hundreds of people, including babies and children.

What is the '100-day cough'?

It's another name for whooping cough, a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. It’s more common in babies and children, but can affect adults too.

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Cases of whooping cough have soared this year. There are currently over 700 confirmed cases in the UK.

Also known as pertussis, whooping cough starts out like a common cold, but can be a lot more serious, especially in young babies. At first you may have a runny nose and sore throat, but unlike a cold it doesn’t ease off.

Instead, people could suffer with the cough for weeks or even months. It’s been dubbed ‘the 100-day cough’ due to its long-lasting symptoms.

'Pregnant woman at risk'

Earlier this week, experts urged pregnant women to get vaccinated against whooping cough to protect their unborn baby. And they’ve advised parents to get their children vaccinated against the illness, too.

‘Whooping cough in young babies can be severe,' Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam from the UKHSA said.

‘Social distancing and lockdown measures imposed across the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the spread of infections, including whooping cough.

'As expected, we are now seeing cases of whooping cough increase again, so it’s vital pregnant women ensure they get vaccinated to protect their baby.'

The whooping cough vaccine is routinely given as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine for babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks. It's also recommended to be given to pregnant mums-to-be between 16 and 32 weeks.

Whooping cough symptoms to look out for

According to the NHS, there are some key signs to look out for with whooping cough, that are different to symptoms of a cold.

After about a week, you or your child:

  • Will get coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night
  • May make a "whoop" sound – a gasp for breath between coughs (young babies and some adults may not 'whoop')
  • May have difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and may turn blue or grey (young babies)
  • May bring up a thick mucus, which can make you vomit
  • May become very red in the face (more common in adults)

The cough may last for several weeks or months.

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Why is whooping cough so serious?

While whooping cough isn’t usually serious in adults or older children, it can be extremely dangerous for babies under six months. They have an increased risk of:

  • dehydration
  • breathing difficulties
  • pneumonia
  • seizures (fits)

Babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk, which is why pregnant women are being urged to get the vaccination.

Whooping cough is less severe in older children and adults but coughing may cause problems including sore ribs and ear infections.

Who can be vaccinated against whooping cough?

The whooping cough vaccine is routinely given as part of the:

6-in-1 vaccine – for babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks

4-in-1 pre-school booster – for children aged 3 years 4 months

If you're pregnant you should also have the whooping cough vaccine – ideally between 16 and 32 weeks.

Generally, adults who aren’t pregnant aren’t given a vaccine for whooping cough.

What is the whooping cough vaccine?

As there is no whooping cough-only vaccine, the vaccine you'll be given also protects against polio, diphtheria and tetanus. The vaccine is called Boostrix IPV.

Boostrix IPV is similar to the 4-in-1 vaccine – the pre-school booster that's routinely given to children before they start school.

What’s the treatment for whooping cough?

According to the NHS:

‘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 three weeks of the infection, you'll be given antibiotics to help stop it spreading to others. Antibiotics may not reduce symptoms.

‘If you've had whooping cough for more than three weeks, you're no longer contagious and do not need antibiotics.’

How long is whooping cough contagious for?

The NHS say:

‘If you have whooping cough, you're contagious from about six days after the start of cold-like symptoms to three weeks after the coughing starts.

‘If you start antibiotics within 3 weeks of starting to cough, it will reduce the time you're contagious for.’

Can my child go to school with whooping cough?

The NHS recommends that anyone with whooping cough ‘stay off school, work or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or three weeks after your symptoms started if you've not had antibiotics.’

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