A South Jersey mom is sharing her daughter's experience with whooping cough to spread awareness

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — As COVID continues to spread, there's another respiratory illness that's also increasing, and it has doctors sounding the alarm about a decline in vaccinations.

Cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, are spreading. This sickness starts out like a cold, but then turns into a potentially dangerous cough.

Juliette Osborne, who lives in South Jersey, said she was upset and worried when her 10-year-old daughter, who has special needs, was diagnosed with whooping cough.

"She coughed, I want to say, from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.," Osborne said.

It was "very, very scary," she said.

Emmani, who's vaccinated, was treated with antibiotics, and so were all of her close contacts as a precaution.

Doctors say the sound of whooping cough is distinctive, and now the contagious bacterial infection is spreading rapidly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says reported cases are more than twice as high this year, than last, nationally and locally .

Dr. Jeffrey Polansky, of Virtua Health, said symptoms can be similar to having a cold – with the classic cough. It can infect both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

"The cough is severe. You can get fractured ribs, collapsed lungs, all sorts of complications from it," Polansky said.

The CDC has issued a call to action on whooping cough because vaccinations rates have declined to their lowest level in decades.

The DTaP vaccine is given to children to protect against whooping cough and other illnesses. There's a different version for adults that also covers tetanus. Polansky said it's recommended adults get that shot every 10 years.

Doctors say people who are vaccinated are much less likely to get infected.

Osborne wants people to understand the potential dangers of whooping cough and is hoping more people get vaccinated.

Doctors say whooping cough is especially dangerous for babies, pregnant women and people with respiratory issues.