Pertussis (Whooping cough) - liars tell us it is harmless
• child has pertussis • difficult for him to stop coughing and to get air • coughing spasms with a "whooping" sound that follows the cough are typical • sound means child is trying to catch his breath before the next round of coughing
Pertussis • serious disease especially for babies • most babies who get pertussis have to be hospitalised and some even die
Pertussis germ • lives in the mouth, nose, and throat • spreads through coughing and sneezing • spreads very easily from parent to child or child to child
Once infected • takes 5-10 days to get sick
Symptoms • adults usually do not get very sick • children can have • fever • coughing • severe cough with a "whooping" sound • vomiting and exhaustion after severe coughing • difficulty breathing
Complications • pneumonia • seizures • brain damage • death
Here's a nice sign that was for sale on eBay. It reminds us of how worried people could be about pertussis before liars started saying that the vaccine was more dangerous than the disease.
