Pertussis cases in the United States have reached the highest annual number in a decade, with more cases reported in the past 12 weeks than in the entire year. Nearly 14,500 cases have been reported nationwide since the beginning of the year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, by December 14 the number rose to more than 32,000, a six-fold increase from the same time in 2023, when more than 5,100 cases were reported.

The total number for 2022 was even lower, about 3,000 cases.

Why is whooping cough spreading? in America?

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial infection that affects the upper respiratory tract. Its spread generally follows a seasonal pattern, peaking in autumn or winter.

According to experts, the high case tally is attributed to several factors including dropped levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. And so, a return to pre-pandemic patterns is expected. However, this year’s total is likely to be significantly higher than 2019 declining vaccine safety,

Young children, especially infants, are most vulnerable to whooping cough, having the highest risk of becoming infected and having serious complications.

Doctors say that most of the whooping cough patients they are seeing these days have not been vaccinated.

According to the CDC, the pertussis vaccine protects against pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus, and everyone in the U.S. over the age of two months is eligible to get it. Doctors say babies should get a dose of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis or DTaP shot, as it’s known — at 2, 4 and 6 months, followed by a booster shot when they’re between 12 and 15 months old and then again at 4. to 6 months of age. years old.

A different formulation of the shot, a single dose of Tdap vaccine, is also recommended for adolescents ages 11 to 12 and for adults every 10 years.

Vaccination rates have declined over time,

Pertussis vaccination rates in the US have always been high but have now declined over the past five years. According to the data, more than 94 percent of children born between 2018 and 2019 had received at least three doses of the DTaP vaccine by their second birthday, but the rate dropped to about 92.5 percent for children born between 2020 and 2021. It’s done.

Among kindergartners, the share who received state-required vaccinations, including DTaP, dropped from 95 percent in the 2019-20 school year to less than 93 percent for the 2023-24 school year.

Experts say that the safety of the vaccine decreases with time.

Signs and symptoms of whooping cough

Some signs and symptoms of whooping cough include:

• slight fever
• frequent or severe cough
• runny nose
• respiratory failure in infants
• Wheezing sound while breathing after coughing stops
• vomit
• tiredness due to prolonged cough

Pertussis symptoms begin to subside after four weeks, although a cough may persist for several months after symptoms begin.

How can you prevent whooping cough?

According to experts, the best way to prevent the disease is to get the whooping cough vaccine. Doctors recommend that all children be given the DTaP vaccine, which is completely safe and effective.

Children should receive five injections of DTaP vaccine, according to the following recommended schedule.

This vaccine provides short-term protection for infants against whooping cough. It can also protect them from serious complications related to infection. However, if you are pregnant, you should also make sure that family members and caregivers take pertussis precautions by getting vaccinated.

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