Whooping Cough

Health officials have reported that whooping cough cases in the United States are at their highest level in a decade for this time of year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded 18,506 cases of whooping cough so far this year. This is the highest number of cases at this point in the year since 2014, when cases reached over 21,800.

The increase is not surprising, as health experts note that whooping cough outbreaks occur every three to five years. The numbers indicate a return to pre-pandemic levels, when whooping cough and other contagious illnesses declined.

Despite this cyclical pattern, the current number of cases has raised concerns among state health officials, particularly in Wisconsin, where there have been nearly 1,000 cases this year, compared to just 51 last year.

Nationwide, the CDC has reported a decline in kindergarten vaccination rates last year and an increase in vaccine exemptions. The CDC released state figures on Thursday, revealing that approximately 86% of kindergartners in Wisconsin received the whooping cough vaccine, compared to over 92% nationally.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, typically begins with cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, before progressing to a persistent cough. The illness is treated with antibiotics. Before the introduction of a vaccine in the 1950s, whooping cough was highly prevalent. The vaccine, now part of routine childhood immunizations, is administered as a combination shot with tetanus and diphtheria vaccines. This combination shot is recommended for adults every 10 years.

“They used to call it the 100-day cough because it literally lasts for 100 days,” said Joyce Knestrick, a family nurse practitioner in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Whooping cough primarily affects infants and young children, who are at risk of developing serious complications. To protect newborns, the vaccine is recommended during pregnancy and for those who spend significant time with infants.

However, public health officials are reporting outbreaks among older children and teenagers this year. In Pennsylvania, most outbreaks have occurred in middle school, high school, and college settings. Justin Frederick, deputy director of the Douglas County, Nebraska, health department, stated that nearly all cases in his county are among schoolchildren and teenagers.

This includes his own teenage daughter.

“It’s a horrible disease. She still wakes up—after being treated with her antibiotics—in a panic because she’s coughing so much she can’t breathe,” he said.

Early testing and antibiotic treatment are crucial, according to Dr. Kris Bryant, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Norton Children’s in Louisville, Kentucky. Individuals exposed to the bacteria can also receive antibiotics to prevent the spread of the illness.

“Pertussis is worth preventing,” Bryant said. “The good news is that we have safe and effective vaccines.”

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AP data journalist Kasturi Pananjady contributed to this report.