A pregnant woman in a hijab at a health clinic receiving a vaccine in her upper arm from a female nurse

Batuk Kokol (Pertussis): Tanda, Bahaya pada Bayi & Vaksin

Batuk kokol (whooping cough, or pertussis) is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes that spreads very easily. It starts like a cold, then after about a week causes coughing bouts that last a few minutes, are worse at night and may end with a “whoop” as you gasp for breath. The cough can last for weeks or months. It is most dangerous for babies under 6 months, who may not whoop but can stop breathing, turn blue or grey, and need hospital care. Babies are protected by their own vaccines at 2, 3 and 5 months, and by their mother having the Tdap vaccine in pregnancy, which Malaysia’s Ministry of Health offers free at 28 to 32 weeks. This guide explains the signs in babies and adults, how long it is contagious, treatment, and the vaccines that protect your baby.

Apa itu batuk kokol?

Whooping cough (pertussis) is an infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. It spreads very easily and can be serious, and it is important for babies, children and anyone who is pregnant to get vaccinated against it (NHS). It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis (MedlinePlus).

The disease is most dangerous in infants, and is a significant cause of disease and death in this age group (WHO). In 2025, there were more than 264,000 cases of pertussis around the world (WHO). In Malay it is called batuk kokol; the English name comes from the “whooping” sound often heard when a person tries to take a breath after coughing (MedlinePlus).

Tanda batuk kokol

The first symptoms generally appear 7 to 10 days after infection (WHO). Whooping cough usually develops in stages:

Stage What happens
Like a cold (first week or so) Runny nose and sore throat; a high temperature is uncommon (NHS)
Coughing bouts (after about a week) Coughing bouts that last a few minutes and are worse at night; a “whoop” sound, which is a gasp for breath between coughs; bringing up thick mucus, which can make you vomit; becoming very red in the face, which is more common in adults (NHS)
Slow recovery The cough may last for several weeks or months (NHS). Symptoms often last 6 weeks, but can last as long as 10 weeks (MedlinePlus)

Not everyone whoops. Young babies under 3 months old and some adults may not make the whoop sound (NHS). Coughing spells may lead to vomiting or a short loss of consciousness, and pertussis should always be considered when vomiting occurs with coughing (MedlinePlus).

Tanda batuk kokol pada bayi

In babies, whooping cough can look different from what you expect. Watch for:

  • coughing bouts followed by difficulty breathing, or turning blue or grey (NHS);
  • choking spells and long pauses in breathing, which are common in infants (MedlinePlus);
  • vomiting after coughing (NHS);
  • no whoop at all, as babies under 3 months may not whoop (NHS).

In a Malaysian hospital study of babies under 6 months old with symptoms of pertussis, those with confirmed pertussis were much more likely to have turned blue (cyanosis, 37.5% compared with 8.6%) and to have had pauses in breathing (apnoea) than babies who tested negative (Mohamed and others, 2022). In a study from Sarawak, a third of babies with confirmed pertussis had atypical symptoms (Mohan and others, 2024).

If your baby is under 6 months old and has symptoms of whooping cough, ask for an urgent doctor’s appointment (NHS). If your baby’s lips, tongue, face or skin turn blue or grey, or your baby is finding it hard to breathe, go to the emergency department straight away (NHS).

Batuk kokol pada orang dewasa

Whooping cough is less severe in older children and adults, but coughing may cause problems including (NHS):

  • sore ribs;
  • a hernia;
  • middle ear infections;
  • pee leaking out when you cough (urinary incontinence); see our guide to kencing tak lawas.

Adults may not whoop, and may just have a bad cough that goes on for weeks (NHS). This matters because older children and adults can pass the infection to babies (NHS). A Southeast Asian expert group, including Malaysia, says there is a need to correct the misperception that pertussis affects only children and that childhood vaccines give lifelong protection (Nguyen and others, 2025). For other reasons a cough can last a long time, see our guide to batuk dan kahak.

Batuk kokol, selsema atau batuk biasa?

The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold (NHS). This table shows how they usually differ:

Condition What is typical
Batuk kokol (whooping cough) Starts like a cold, then after about a week, coughing bouts that last a few minutes, worse at night, sometimes with a whoop or vomiting; the cough may last weeks or months (NHS)
Selsema (common cold) Runny or blocked nose and sore throat; see our selsema guide for how long it usually lasts
Influenza (flu) See our influenza guide for the typical signs of flu
Tibi (tuberculosis) Can also cause a long-lasting cough; see our TB guide for its signs

Only a doctor can tell for sure. To confirm pertussis, a doctor may take a sample of mucus from the nose for lab testing; treatment is often started before the results are ready (MedlinePlus).

Kenapa batuk kokol bahaya untuk bayi

Babies under 6 months old with whooping cough have an increased chance of problems such as dehydration, breathing difficulties, pneumonia and seizures (sawan) (NHS). Other possible complications include slowed or stopped breathing, brain damage from lack of oxygen, and death (MedlinePlus). Most babies with whooping cough need hospital treatment, and when it is very severe they may die (NHS).

Infants younger than 18 months need constant supervision because their breathing may temporarily stop during coughing spells (MedlinePlus). The babies who catch whooping cough are generally too young to have started their own vaccinations (NHS).

Batuk kokol di Malaysia

Malaysian data show why doctors focus on young babies:

  • The 2023 rise: by 23 August 2023, Malaysia had recorded 343 pertussis cases and 24 deaths that year. Of the cases, 173 (50.4%) were babies under 5 months old, and 19 of the 24 deaths were in this age group (CodeBlue, reporting the Ministry of Health). Cases had already jumped from 11 in 2021 to 101 in 2022 (CodeBlue).
  • Too young to be vaccinated: in a one-year study of babies under 6 months in Malaysian hospitals, 89.3% of confirmed pertussis cases were in babies too young to be fully vaccinated or behind on their vaccines for their age (Mohamed and others, 2022).
  • Sarawak: of 108 babies with confirmed pertussis at Bintulu Hospital from 2015 to 2021, 76% were under 3 months old, and 72% were unvaccinated, nearly all because they were too young for their first dose. About a third had severe disease and 24% needed intensive care (Mohan and others, 2024).
  • Sabah: of 287 confirmed cases in 2023 and 2024, 35 people died. Most deaths were in babies under 2 months and in non-Malaysian or unvaccinated children. Shortness of breath, turning blue, fits and vomiting after coughing were linked to a higher risk of death. The authors call for wider maternal vaccination (Mohd Shah and others, 2026).

Bagaimana ia berjangkit dan berapa lama

When an infected person sneezes or coughs, tiny droplets containing the bacteria move through the air, and the disease is easily spread from person to person (MedlinePlus).

  • You are contagious for up to 3 weeks after the coughing starts (NHS).
  • Stay off school, work or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or 3 weeks after your cough started if you have not had antibiotics (NHS).
  • If you have been in contact with someone with whooping cough and you are pregnant, ask for an urgent doctor’s appointment (NHS).

Tdap is especially important for anyone who has close contact with a baby younger than 12 months, such as parents, grandparents and carers (MedlinePlus).

Rawatan batuk kokol

Treatment depends on your age and how long you have had the infection (NHS):

  • Hospital: usually needed if you have severe whooping cough, or if your baby is under 6 months old and has whooping cough (NHS). Babies may need oxygen, and fluids through a vein if coughing stops them drinking enough (MedlinePlus).
  • Antibiotics: if whooping cough is diagnosed within 3 weeks of the cough starting, you will be given antibiotics to help stop it spreading to others. They may not reduce symptoms (NHS). If started early enough, antibiotics such as erythromycin can make symptoms go away more quickly (MedlinePlus). Finish the whole course, even if you feel better (NHS).

At home

  • get plenty of rest (NHS);
  • drink lots of fluids (NHS);
  • take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you or your child are uncomfortable, checking the leaflet to see if it is suitable (NHS); see our guide to demam;
  • do not give aspirin to children under 16 (NHS).

Cough mixtures, expectorants and suppressants are most often not helpful and should not be used (MedlinePlus).

Vaksin batuk kokol untuk bayi

The best way to prevent pertussis is through vaccination (WHO). In Malaysia’s National Immunisation Programme, babies get a combined 6-in-1 vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b, at 2, 3 and 5 months, with a booster at 18 months (CodeBlue, reporting the Ministry of Health).

Getting every dose on time matters. Severe disease in the Sarawak study was seen almost entirely in babies who had had no more than 1 dose (Mohan and others, 2024). But because the first dose is at 2 months, the youngest babies cannot yet be protected by their own vaccine. That is why vaccination in pregnancy is important (NHS).

Vaksin Tdap untuk ibu mengandung

Getting vaccinated while you are pregnant is highly effective in protecting your baby from whooping cough in the first weeks of life. The immunity you get from the vaccine passes to your baby through the placenta and protects them until they are old enough for their own vaccines (NHS). WHO says vaccinating pregnant women is effective in preventing disease in infants too young to be vaccinated (WHO).

Vaksin Tdap percuma di Malaysia

  • Since 26 May 2025, the Ministry of Health has offered the Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) free to pregnant women between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy (The Star).
  • It is offered at all Ministry of Health primary health facilities that provide maternal health services (The Star). Ask at your klinik kesihatan or antenatal appointment.
  • It is not compulsory, but pregnant women are strongly encouraged to take it (The Star).

What to know

  • Every pregnancy: you should be vaccinated in each pregnancy to give your baby the best protection (NHS).
  • Childhood vaccines wear off: protection from being vaccinated or having whooping cough when you were young is likely to have worn off (NHS).
  • Safety: there is no evidence that the vaccine is unsafe for you or your unborn baby; a UK study of around 20,000 vaccinated women found no evidence of risks to pregnancy or babies (NHS).
  • Not a live vaccine: it cannot cause whooping cough in you or your baby (NHS).
  • Side effects: usually mild, such as swelling, redness or tenderness in the arm for a few days; a high temperature, tiredness and headache are also possible. Serious side effects are extremely rare (NHS).
  • Your baby still needs their own vaccines on schedule (NHS).
  • Flu vaccine: you can have the whooping cough vaccine at the same time as the flu vaccine, but do not delay either one to have them together (NHS).

If you missed the vaccine in pregnancy, ask your doctor. Having it later, even after giving birth, is less likely to protect your baby directly, but helps protect you from whooping cough and from passing it to your baby (NHS).

Mitos tentang batuk kokol

Belief What the evidence says
Batuk kokol only affects children It is less severe in older children and adults, but it can cause sore ribs, a hernia and leaking urine (NHS), and adults can pass it to babies (NHS)
No whoop means it is not whooping cough Babies under 3 months old and some adults may not whoop (NHS)
I had the vaccine as a child, so my baby is protected Childhood protection is likely to have worn off, so you need the vaccine in each pregnancy (NHS)
The vaccine in pregnancy can give my baby whooping cough It is not a live vaccine and cannot cause whooping cough in you or your baby (NHS)
Cough syrup will stop it Cough mixtures, expectorants and suppressants are most often not helpful and should not be used (MedlinePlus)
Antibiotics will make the cough go away quickly Antibiotics mainly help stop it spreading and may not reduce symptoms (NHS), especially when started late (MedlinePlus)

Bila perlu jumpa doktor

Ask for an urgent doctor’s appointment if (NHS):

  • your baby is under 6 months old and has symptoms of whooping cough;
  • you or your child have a very bad cough that is getting worse;
  • you have been in contact with someone with whooping cough and you are pregnant.

Call 999 or go to the emergency department if (NHS):

  • your or your child’s lips, tongue, face or skin suddenly turn blue or grey; on brown or black skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet;
  • you or your child are finding it hard to breathe properly;
  • you or your child have chest pain that is worse when breathing or coughing, which could be a sign of pneumonia;
  • your child is having seizures (fits).

Also get emergency help for periods of stopped breathing, a high fever, persistent vomiting or dehydration (MedlinePlus).

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Apa itu batuk kokol (what is whooping cough)?

Batuk kokol (whooping cough, or pertussis) is an infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. It spreads very easily and can be serious, and it is important for babies, children and anyone who is pregnant to get vaccinated against it (NHS). It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes (MedlinePlus). The disease is most dangerous in babies (WHO).

Apa tanda batuk kokol pada bayi (what are the signs of whooping cough in babies)?

It starts like a cold, with a runny nose and sore throat. After about a week, there are coughing bouts that last a few minutes and are worse at night, and young babies may have difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and turn blue or grey (NHS). Babies under 3 months old may not make the whoop sound (NHS). In babies, choking spells and long pauses in breathing are common (MedlinePlus). If your baby is under 6 months old and has symptoms, get an urgent doctor’s appointment (NHS).

Berapa lama batuk kokol berjangkit (how long is whooping cough contagious)?

You are contagious for up to 3 weeks after the coughing starts (NHS). Stay off school, work or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or 3 weeks after your cough started if you have not had antibiotics (NHS). The cough itself can last for several weeks or months (NHS).

Bila ibu mengandung perlu ambil vaksin Tdap di Malaysia (when should pregnant women get the Tdap vaccine in Malaysia)?

Since 26 May 2025, the Ministry of Health has offered the Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) free of charge to pregnant women between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy, at all Ministry of Health primary health facilities that provide maternal health services. It is not compulsory, but pregnant women are strongly encouraged to take it, to protect newborns before they complete their own vaccinations (The Star). Ask at your klinik kesihatan or antenatal check-up.

Adakah vaksin Tdap selamat semasa mengandung (is the Tdap vaccine safe in pregnancy)?

There is no evidence that the whooping cough vaccine is unsafe for you or your unborn baby. A UK study of around 20,000 vaccinated women found no evidence of risks to pregnancy or babies (NHS). It is not a live vaccine, so it cannot give you or your baby whooping cough. Mild side effects such as swelling, redness or tenderness in the arm usually last only a few days (NHS).

Boleh orang dewasa kena batuk kokol (can adults get whooping cough)?

Yes. Whooping cough is less severe in older children and adults, but the coughing can cause sore ribs, a hernia, middle ear infections and pee leaking when you cough (NHS). Some adults may not whoop, and adults are more likely to become very red in the face when coughing (NHS). An adult with whooping cough can pass it to a baby, so see a doctor if you have a bad, long-lasting cough and you are around young babies.

Adakah ubat batuk boleh hentikan batuk kokol (can cough medicine stop whooping cough)?

No. Cough mixtures, expectorants and suppressants are most often not helpful for whooping cough and should not be used (MedlinePlus). Antibiotics are given if the infection is diagnosed within 3 weeks of the cough starting, mainly to stop it spreading to others, but they may not reduce symptoms (NHS). Rest, plenty of fluids, and paracetamol or ibuprofen if you are uncomfortable can help, but do not give aspirin to children under 16 (NHS).

Disclaimer

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment from a doctor. If you are worried about your baby, see a doctor straight away. Ask your doctor or klinik kesihatan about vaccines in pregnancy and for your baby.

References

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