Pertussis, or whooping cough, was much more common before a vaccine was developed.
There were several hundred thousand cases each year in the United States. Now that there is a pertussis vaccine, most children are immune. There are approximately one million cases of whooping cough a year in the United States, mostly in adolescents and adults.
With whooping cough, the pertussis bacteria attacks the lining of the breathing passages resulting in severe inflammation. Severe coughing is a prominent symptom, as well as narrowing of the air passageways. Whooping cough can be passed to those in close contact with the infected person if not diagnosed properly.
What should you do if your child gets whooping cough?
Listen in as Naveen Mehrotra, MD, shares what you need to know about whooping cough.
Selected Podcast
Whooping Cough: Is Your Child at Risk?
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Dr. Naveen Mehrotra is a pediatrician in private practice. Dr. Mehrotra completed his medical training from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his Pediatric training at the University of Chicago. Practicing in Central New Jersey with one of the highest concentrations of South Asians, Dr. Mehrotra is dedicated to improving the health of South Asian immigrants. With a lack of awareness in areas such as disease prevention within the community, Dr. Mehrotra helped found the Shri Krishna Nidhi (SKN) Foundation, a community based non-profit organization to address these needs at a grassroots level which has a mission to promote well being through community based education. SKN believes that proper physical health, spiritual, and cultural health all lead to a person’s well-being. Projects of the SKN Foundation help to further this mission. To help achieve these educational goals, the Foundation also propagates scholarship programs based on merit and need. Dr. Mehrotra had also been a key person in the founding of the South Asian Total Health Initiative (SATHI), a research and education based initiative at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where he is also a volunteer faculty.
Naveen Mehrotra, MD, FAAP AAP
Dr. Naveen Mehrotra is a pediatrician in private practice. Dr. Mehrotra completed his medical training from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his Pediatric training at the University of Chicago. Practicing in Central New Jersey with one of the highest concentrations of South Asians, Dr. Mehrotra is dedicated to improving the health of South Asian immigrants. With a lack of awareness in areas such as disease prevention within the community, Dr. Mehrotra helped found the Shri Krishna Nidhi (SKN) Foundation, a community based non-profit organization to address these needs at a grassroots level which has a mission to promote well being through community based education. SKN believes that proper physical health, spiritual, and cultural health all lead to a person’s well-being. Projects of the SKN Foundation help to further this mission. To help achieve these educational goals, the Foundation also propagates scholarship programs based on merit and need. Dr. Mehrotra had also been a key person in the founding of the South Asian Total Health Initiative (SATHI), a research and education based initiative at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where he is also a volunteer faculty.