Whooping Cough Vaccine Recommendations

CDC recommends whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination for babies, children, preteens, pregnant women, and adults.
Talk to your or your child's healthcare or vaccine provider if you have questions about whooping cough vaccines.

A lineup of people ranging from baby to childhood and up through adulthood.

Vaccines your family may need

There are two types of combination vaccines that protect against whooping cough: DTaP and Tdap.

Babies and children younger than 7 years old receive DTaP, while older children and adults receive Tdap.

Babies and children

Babies

Babies need 3 shots of DTaP to build up high levels of protection against whooping cough. CDC recommends these shots at the following ages:

2 months
4 months
6 months

Children

Children need 2 booster shots of DTaP at the following ages to maintain that protection through early childhood:

15 through 18 months
4 through 6 years

Preteens and teens

Preteens should get one shot of Tdap between the ages of 11 and 12 years to boost their immunity. Teens who didn’t get Tdap as a preteen should get one shot the next time they visit their healthcare provider.

Keep Reading: Fact Sheet: Tdap Vaccine for Preteens and Teens

Adults

All adults who have never received one should get a Tdap shot. This can be given at any time, regardless of when they last got Td.

To maintain protection against tetanus and diphtheria, adults should get a booster dose of Td or Tdap every 10 years.

Tdap vaccination during pregnancy‎

CDC recommends women get Tdap during the early part of the 3rd trimester of every pregnancy. While Tdap also helps protect against tetanus and diphtheria, the main goal is to protect babies from whooping cough in the first few months of life.

Vaccines for Pregnant Women