Introduction Whooping cough, also called pertussis, is back in the conversation. Like my other examples, it is a vaccine preventable illness, yet cases have been rising here and abroad. That makes it a real worry for parents of newborns and young infants, because the youngest babies are the ones who get the sickest. This piece explains what pertussis looks like, how it spreads, how to protect a baby, and what to do if exposure happens.