A persistent cough could be whooping cough. Here’s what to do
As cold, snowy weather has more of us inside, cases of whooping cough are rising in Minnesota. As of November 13, 2025, the Minnesota Department of Health reported 1,311 cases. In contrast, the state only saw 61 cases in all of 2023. Those numbers are likely low since many people don’t get tested for the bacterial infection.
Whooping cough, also called pertussis, can lead to uncontrollable coughing. It often starts with symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, cough, and possibly low fever. After a week or two, the cough gets severe.
“At the beginning, it may seem like a usual cough, but then it goes on and on, which can be very challenging for people when it feels like it's hard to breathe,” said Anna Milz, MD, a pediatrician at M Health Fairview Clinic - Tamarack in Woodbury. “It has a distinctive cough, cough, cough and then a whoop where you have to catch your breath because of it.”
Milz added that whooping cough can be hard on young babies who don’t have the ability to catch their breath. Their lips or face might look blue from lack of oxygen. It can lead to several days in the hospital to recover.
Vaccinations are available to help prevent the spread of whooping cough — and keep vulnerable people out of the hospital. But vaccination rates are down. Only 91% of children born in 2020 had gotten all four doses by November 2023, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
People who are vaccinated might still get sick, but the symptoms are generally mild compared to those in people who have not been vaccinated. Many people experience bursts of uncontrollable coughing. In between coughing, they might look well, but they are often exhausted, and their lungs and abdominal muscles might hurt from coughing. Coughing bursts can also lead to sore throat, vomiting, and interrupted sleep. Whooping cough is so named because a high-pitched whooping sound is common between coughing bursts. The persistent cough is sometimes called the 100-day cough because it can last several weeks.
How to prevent whooping cough
Whooping cough is easily spread through droplets in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Practicing good hygiene, such as staying home when sick, wearing a mask, covering coughs and sneezes, and cleaning hands can help prevent the spread.
Vaccination is the best way to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Vaccination against pertussis is the P part of the DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis) vaccine that is recommended beginning in early childhood.
Booster doses are then given every 10 years beginning at age 11. The Tdap vaccine is the adolescent and adult version of DTaP.
“It used to be that the recommendation for adults was just a tetanus booster shot,” Milz said. “But the recommendations have changed to a Tdap vaccine that includes protection for whooping cough. Because our protection from the vaccine starts to wane over time, boosters can help protect us from whooping cough and protect us from spreading whooping cough.”
People who are pregnant should get a dose of Tdap in the third trimester of each pregnancy to help protect vulnerable babies in their first six months. Talk to your healthcare provider about what vaccines you need.
Whooping cough treatment
Whooping cough can look similar to other respiratory infections like COVID, RSV, or the flu. It’s not necessary to go to a clinic to get tested, but it could be helpful. Your doctor might be able to give you antibiotic medication to help prevent spreading whooping cough to others. Unfortunately, the antibiotic isn’t very effective against symptoms. But do go in if your symptoms are severe.
“If you’re struggling with your breathing, we want to see you in the clinic, because we want to do an exam to make sure that you're breathing and oxygen levels are OK,” Milz said.
Your doctor might also prescribe an inhaler to help with breathing.
Most people will clear the infection within six weeks even without treatment. You can ease symptoms by drinking plenty of fluids and using a humidifier. People over age 1 can take a teaspoon of honey, and people over age 6 can use cough syrup.
