As we reported recently, a new study has found out that the Tdap booster vaccine meant to fight whooping cough isn’t providing long-lasting protection, and it is only effective in 9 percent of children by the fourth year after starting off at 69 percent after the first year. And if you’ve ever had whooping cough, you know that’s bad news.

A study of 280,000 10-year-old children from 2009 to 2015 found that effectiveness of the pertussis Tdap booster decline precipitously over just a few years, and it may result in health experts adjusting strategies for using vaccines.

The CDC calls whooping cough a “highly contagious respiratory disease” caused by bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It results in an uncontrollable and violent cough that can oftentimes cause breathing problems. It is so named because after fits of violent coughing, and individual with pertussis needs to take deep breaths that resemble a “whooping” sound.

Whooping cough is a problem for all individuals, but it can be deadly for babies who are less than a year old.

It tends to be less serious for kids, but it should not be underestimated. Not only can it still be very dangerous, but it can also interrupt their lives, causing them to miss many days of school. That’s why the pertussis vaccine is required in many states.

“The best way to prevent pertussis (whooping cough) is to get vaccinated,” the CDC states on their website. “There are vaccines for babies, children, preteens, teens, and adults. The childhood vaccine is called DTaP, and the pertussis booster vaccine for preteens, teens, and adults is called Tdap. Talk to your healthcare professional about getting vaccinated against pertussis.”