
2. Whooping Cough (Pertussis) What it is: A lung infection that makes it hard to breathe due to severe coughing. How you get it: People can breathe in the pertussis bacteria when someone who has whooping cough coughs or sneezes. Why it’s serious: It can be life-threatening, especially in babies less than 1 year old. Whooping cough can lead to pneumonia, seizures, and slowed or stopped breathing. Get the WebMD list of the top 10 vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, whooping cough, flu, polio, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, mumps, Hib, tetanus, and hepatitis B.
2. Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
What it is: A lung infection that makes it hard to breathe due to severe coughing.
How you get it: People can breathe in the pertussis bacteria when someone who has whooping cough coughs or sneezes.
Why it’s serious: It can be life-threatening, especially in babies less than 1 year old. Whooping cough can lead to pneumonia, seizures, and slowed or stopped breathing.
Get the WebMD list of the top 10 vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, whooping cough, flu, polio, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, mumps, Hib, tetanus, and hepatitis B.