Yes. The DTaP vaccine has been very effective in preventing the contraction and spread of whooping cough in the United States. In fact, a recent study showed that one in 20 unvaccinated children will get pertussis versus 1 in 500 vaccinated children.

Because childhood vaccinations wear off over time, health experts recommend that teens and adults get a booster vaccine, Tdap, to prevent getting whooping cough and passing it to infants and young children. The symptoms of whooping cough in teens and adults may be mistaken for a cold or bronchitis, so people in these age groups may spread the bacteria without knowing it. In fact, it’s estimated that one-third of the cases of whooping cough in infants came from an infected mother.