Whooping cough cases have surged in the United States, with at least 8,064 reported nationwide over the past year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that this is more than double the 3,835 cases recorded at the same time last year.
The disease, also known as pertussis, is particularly hazardous for infants and young children, resulting in several deaths across the country. In Washington, a child under 5 died from whooping cough, while Louisiana reported two infant fatalities within seven months. Idaho also experienced an adult death due to the infection.
According to Chad Neilsen, head of infection control and prevention at Nemours Children’s Health in Florida, the rise in cases is largely attributed to declining vaccination rates. “If we continue this pace, we’ll have close to 70,000 cases of pertussis,” he warned. This would be the highest number of whooping cough cases recorded since 1950.
Before the introduction of vaccines, there were an estimated 200,000 cases annually among children and up to 9,000 child fatalities. However, vaccination rates have been declining. In 2024, over 7% of unvaccinated children developed whooping cough, significantly higher than any figure recorded since at least 2021.
Experts attribute the drop in vaccination rates to misinformation about vaccine safety and efficacy as well as “vaccine fatigue” from the COVID-19 pandemic. Neilsen emphasized that education on vaccine effectiveness is crucial to addressing concerns among hesitant parents and restoring confidence in vaccinations.
Whooping cough, a contagious respiratory illness caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria, can be treated with antibiotics and managed at home for most cases. However, it poses significant risks for infants under 1, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/whooping-cough-cases-doubled-year-cdc-data-shows/story?id=121118803