US health officials have said whooping cough is at its highest level in a decade this time of year. More than 18,506 cases of whooping cough have been reported across the country so far, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the highest this year since 2014 when cases topped 21,800.

According to officials, the increase is not a surprise as pertussis peaks every three to five years, and the numbers indicate a return to levels before the coronavirus pandemic when such infectious diseases had declined. However, the total numbers reported by some health officials are limited – including those from Wisconsin, where there have been nearly 1,000 cases so far this year, compared to 51 total last year.

CDC says vaccination rates have dropped drastically

Kindergarten vaccination rates have dropped across the US, and vaccination exemptions are at an all-time high, according to officials.

Last week, officials released data showing that about 86 percent of kindergartners in Wisconsin received the pertussis vaccine, compared with more than 92 percent nationally.

What causes whooping cough?

Whooping cough – also called pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. doctors say The condition begins when bacteria enter your respiratory tract – attaching to tiny, hair-like extensions on the lining of your respiratory tract. Then, they release toxins that damage your cilia and cause inflammation in your airways.

This inflammation causes your mucus secretion to increase, causing a severe cough. In many people, it is marked by a severe hacking cough followed by a rapid breathing sound that sounds like a “whoop”.

Signs and symptoms of whooping cough

The initial signs and symptoms of whooping cough resemble those of the common cold – lasting one to two weeks and include:

• slight fever
• mild or occasional cough
• runny nose
• respiratory failure in infants
• prolonged, frequent, or severe coughing
• Wheezing sound while breathing after coughing stops
• vomiting and nausea
• Exhaustion

Vaccination to prevent whooping cough

Doctors say the condition used to be extremely common until the vaccine was introduced in the 1950s, which has now become a part of routine childhood vaccinations.

Getting vaccinated for whooping cough is the best way to keep it from getting worse. Doctors recommend that all children get the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis or DTaP vaccine – a combination that also protects them against diphtheria and tetanus. It is completely safe and effective.

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

First dose: 2 months old.

Second dose: 4 months of age.

Third dose: At 6 months of age.

Fourth dose: Between 15 and 18 months.

Fifth dose: Between 4 and 6 years.

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