What’s New
More than 420 new whooping cough cases were reported across the U.S. for the week ending on December 21, bringing the cumulative year-to-date case number surging past 33,300 as health officials urge people to get vaccinated against the infection.
Why It Matters
Whooping cough infections fell notably in 2020, with officials crediting the dip to preventative measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as wearing masks and remote learning. However, whooping cough cases are again on the rise, with reported cases the highest they’ve been since 2012.
Prostock-Studio/Getty
What’s New
So far this year, 33,387 cases have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Why It Matters
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the airways that primarily infects children. It is most dangerous in babies under 1 year old with undeveloped immune systems. Adults with weakened immune systems also are at risk. The infection can require urgent medical attention, and, with fewer than 200,000 cases reported each year, is considered rare in the U.S.
What To Know
The most recent data includes whooping cough cases reported for the week ending on December 21. Ohio had the most reported cases for that week at 68. New York had the second-highest reported number of cases at 48.
Reported cases for 2024 to date are highest in New York, with 2,653 cases reported so far this year. No cases have been reported in Wyoming.
Symptoms of Whooping Cough in Adults
The primary symptom of someone who has whooping cough is a severe, hacking cough followed by a sharp intake of breath that makes a “whoop” noise, according to the Mayo Clinic. Early symptoms are similar to the common cold, such as runny nose, congestion, watery eyes, fever and a cough. However, as the infection persists, it can cause long, severe coughing that can cause vomiting and extreme fatigue.
Because of the severe coughing, adults who develop whooping cough are at risk of bruised or cracked ribs, abdominal hernias and broken blood vessels in the eyes.
Complications can be much worse, even fatal, for infants.
2024 vs. 2023: Increased cases
Reported pertussis cases so far this year are nearly five times the 6,733 reported cases in 2023. Officials believe pertussis cases will return to the more than 10,000 cases seen each year before the COVID-19 pandemic, though reported cases this year are the highest they’ve been in more than a decade.
In 2023, New York was the state with the highest number of reported cases. Ohio was the state with the second highest reported cases that year.
Whooping Cough Vaccine: Where to Get it
Anyone can get whooping cough, even if they’ve been vaccinated, though officials at the CDC say vaccination is the best prevention measure against whooping cough.
Whooping cough vaccines are common vaccines that are usually available at a doctor’s office or pharmacy.
A CDC spokesperson told Newsweek:”Vaccination is the best way to prevent pertussis. However, as typical infection patterns return to the United States, CDC expects pertussis cases to increase both in unvaccinated and vaccinated populations. Pertussis occurs in vaccinated people since protection from vaccination fades over time.
Reports of pertussis cases were lower than usual over the past few years, during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the United States is beginning to return to pre-pandemic patterns where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year. It’s likely mitigation measures used during the pandemic (e.g., masking, remote learning) lowered transmission of pertussis.
“In 2024, reported cases of pertussis increased across the United States, indicating a return to more typical trends. Preliminary data show that more than six times as many cases have been reported as of week 50 reported on December 14, 2024, compared to the same time in 2023. The number of reported cases this year is higher than what was seen at the same time in 2019, prior to the pandemic.”
What Happens Next
According to the CDC website, officials believe many whooping cough cases remain undetected, contributing to the low number of reported cases. Over the past few decades, whooping cough cases have been on the rise, save for during the COVID-19 pandemic, and cases could continue to climb as preventive measures taken during the pandemic cease.
