Whooping Cough Cases Reach Highest Level in a Decade
US Sees Six-Fold Increase in Cases
Whooping cough cases in the U.S. have reached the highest annual total in a decade, with as many cases tallied in the last 12 weeks as in the entire rest of the year. As of mid-September, about 14,500 cases had been recorded nationwide since the beginning of the year. That number climbed to more than 32,000 as of Dec. 14, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Experts Attribute High Case Tally to Combination of Factors
Experts attribute the high case tally to a combination of factors. For one, whooping cough cases dropped to levels far lower than average during the Covid pandemic, so a jump back to pre-pandemic patterns was expected. However, this year’s total is significantly higher than 2019’s, likely due to waning vaccine protection, lower vaccination rates, and improved testing, they said.
Whooping Cough: A Bacterial Infection
Also known as pertussis, whooping cough is a bacterial infection that affects the upper respiratory system. Its spread typically follows a seasonal pattern, with a peak in the fall or winter. Early symptoms can resemble a common cold — cough, fever, and a runny nose — but after a week or two, patients often develop aggressive cough attacks during which it’s difficult to breathe. The term whooping cough is a reference to the high-pitched “whoop” sound that some infected people make as they inhale after a coughing fit.
Infants Most Vulnerable
Infants are the most vulnerable to whooping cough, with the highest risk of getting infected and of serious complications. “It’s most severe in the youngest kids, so certainly those less than a year, and especially those less than 6 months of age,” said Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at University of California, Davis, Children’s Hospital. “I personally have seen a patient who’s died from pertussis this year, and I’ve seen several that have been in the ICU.”
Vaccination Key to Prevention
The CDC recommends whooping cough vaccines, which help protect against pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus, for everyone in the U.S., starting at 2 months old. Infants should get doses of the DTaP shot at 2, 4, and 6 months, followed by booster shots when they are between 12 and 15 months old and again at 4 to 6 years old. One dose of a different formulation of the shot, the Tdap vaccine, is also recommended for preteens between 11 and 12 and for adults every 10 years.
Vaccination Rates Declining
Whooping cough vaccination rates in the U.S. remain high, but they have declined over the last five years or so. Whereas more than 94% of children born between 2018 and 2019 had received at least three doses of the DTaP vaccine by their second birthdays, the rate fell to around 92.5% for those born between 2020 and 2021, according to a CDC report published in September.
Improved Testing Also Contributing to Higher Case Total
Santina Wheat, a professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said most of the whooping cough patients she’s seen have been vaccinated tweens and adults. “I think we’re probably seeing some of the impacts of the waning immunity,” she said. Wheat added that an improved ability to diagnose whooping cough is probably also contributing to the United States’ higher case total.
Conclusion
Whooping cough cases have reached the highest level in a decade, with over 32,000 cases reported in the US as of December 14. Experts attribute the high case tally to a combination of factors, including waning vaccine protection, lower vaccination rates, and improved testing. Infants are the most vulnerable to whooping cough, and vaccination is key to prevention. Vaccination rates have declined over the last five years, and improved testing may also be contributing to the higher case total.
FAQs
Q: What is whooping cough?
A: Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection that affects the upper respiratory system.
Q: How common is whooping cough?
A: Whooping cough cases have reached the highest level in a decade, with over 32,000 cases reported in the US as of December 14.
Q: Who is most vulnerable to whooping cough?
A: Infants are the most vulnerable to whooping cough, with the highest risk of getting infected and of serious complications.
Q: How can whooping cough be prevented?
A: Vaccination is key to prevention. The CDC recommends whooping cough vaccines for everyone in the US, starting at 2 months old.
Q: Are vaccination rates declining?
A: Yes, whooping cough vaccination rates in the US have declined over the last five years or so.
