Pertussis Cases Increase 400% in the United States

Recent data highlighted a concerning trend in the incidence of pertussis (whooping cough), a vaccine-preventable disease. Infants are at the most significant risk for severe disease and death from pertussis because their immune systems are still developing.

As of week #32 in 2024, this age group continues to have the highest reported rate of pertussis infection.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on August 10, 2024, that the number of reported pertussis cases this year (11,568) is more than four times as many as those reported in 2023 (3,035). 

The CDC says about 10,000 cases are typically reported annually in the U.S.

Before the availability of a pertussis vaccine in the 1940s, public health experts reported more than 200,000 cases of pertussis annually.

While vaccination is the best way to prevent pertussis, the CDC expects pertussis cases to increase both in unvaccinated and vaccinated populations.

Since protection from vaccination fades over time, pertussis occurs in vaccinated people. 

This vaccine waning is because Bordetella pertussis, the bacteria that causes pertussis, constantly changes at a genetic level.

In the U.S., pertussis vaccines are combined with components that protect against other diseases, such as:

DTaP: Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough,

Tdap: Tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough.

The CDC recommends talking to a vaccine provider if you have questions about these vaccines, which are generally available at health clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.