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Because whooping cough vaccine does not offer lifelong immunity, vaccinating a population once does not necessarily wipe out the disease. In fact, exposure to whooping cough may be a good thing for children who have been vaccinated for it. Instead of relying solely on vaccine-based immunity, some exposure to the disease causes a person's immune system to recognize and respond to it, beefing up the response for future exposures, like a booster shot without the syringe.

But the situation begs the question: Is there a better public health approach in dealing with whooping cough? Medical professionals, including SAM, support the release of the adolescent whooping cough booster, which would keep teens healthier and prevent them from spreading the disease to more vulnerable groups. Boosters have been successful in curbing whooping cough in both Germany and Canada.

"Parents and health care providers must make the decision to immunize," Ehresmann argues. "But I've heard many parents say, 'If I'd only known, I would have had my child vaccinated.' It can be very scary for parents to see children having problems breathing."

Morales knows her family was lucky. The rest of the family tested negative, but everyone was prescribed a course of antibiotics just in case and the girl was quarantined until she had finished taking the drugs. There may be a silver lining for the Morales family. The exposure to whooping cough should have boosted each family member's immune system, and Morales's daughter will likely not contract the disease again for a number of years.

Meanwhile, there's nothing else to do but wait for the disease to run its course. Morales is prepared for her daughter's cough to last up to six months. "It makes a parent crabby, because you can't help them." she says. "There's nothing you can do."