Nearly a dozen children have died from a Victorian-era disease in the past year – marking the highest number of deaths in almost a decade.
The CDC reported that in 2024, there were 10 deaths from whopping cough, the most recorded since 2017, when 13 people died. Additionally, last year also saw 35,435 cases of the disease.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis.
The illness leads to violent coughing fits, fever, sore eyes and blue lips. In severe cases, this can lead to vomiting, exhaustion and problems breathing and is fatal in about one percent of babies who catch the infection.
The CDC’s report revealing 2024 whooping cough data, shows Pennsylvania and Wisconsin logged the most cases last year, with 2,889 and 2,647 respectively.
Washington and Illinois followed, with 2,029 and 2,304 cases, respectively. Minnesota rounded out the top five states with the most whooping cough cases, recording 1,895.
Though data on 2025 cases is preliminary, in the past week alone, about 360 cases were reported nationwide, a 27 percent increase from the week before.
Most of those cases – 44 – were reported in Florida.
Health officials have warned that whooping cough, which is extremely dangerous for young children and teens, is on the rise nationwide (stock image)
The best way to prevent whooping cough is by getting the vaccine, which doctors often give in combination with vaccines against two other serious diseases – diphtheria and tetanus.
CDC spokesperson Paul Prince said in a statement: ‘People of all ages are at risk for getting pertussis (whooping cough). Everyone who is not up to date with whooping cough vaccination should get vaccinated.’
Most recently, on February 5, the agency confirmed the November death of a toddler in Washington state was due to whooping cough.
The child had not completed their pertussis vaccine series.
The Spokane Regional Health District said in a statement: ‘Although pertussis was confirmed as the cause of death, there were other health factors that contributed.
‘The child received some doses of the DTaP vaccine but had not completed the series.’
Dr. Francisco Velazquez, the county’s health officer added: ‘This death serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vaccination, especially for those who are most vulnerable, including infants and young children.
‘We encourage all community members to make sure their vaccinations are up to date, as the best way to protect yourself and others from pertussis is through immunization.’
On January 24, the South Dakota Department of Health also confirmed the death of a child due to a co-infection of Pertussis and influenza.
That state saw 268 cases of pertussis last year.
Health officials warned whooping cough is initially difficult to tell apart from a cold, as the first signs are a runny nose and sore throat, but they eventually worsen
Polly Deehy (pictured left) from the UK had to be placed in a 10-day coma after coming down with whooping cough, and at just one month old, Rosie Robin, also from the UK (pictured right) was hospitalized for two weeks with the disease
Whooping cough occurs when bacteria attaches to tiny hairs in the throat and nose and release toxins that cause airways to swell.
At first, this may cause mild symptoms like a runny nose or mild cough, but it can progress to a cough so violent it leads many patients to vomit and develop breathing problems.
The CDC recommends babies get the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine at two, four, six, and between 15 and 18 months old.
Children ages four to six are also recommended to receive a booster shot of the vaccine.
The agency states preteens ages 11 to 12 should also receive a shot of Tdap to boost their immunity against pertussis. The shot is recommended every 10 years after that.
The TDAP vaccine is 98 percent effective in children within a year of their last dose. In teenagers, the vaccine is 73 percent effective in the first year and 34 percent effective four years after vaccination.
But fewer are getting it.
For the 2019-2020 school year, 95 percent of kindergarteners received the Tdap vaccine. This dropped to 93 percent for the 2023-2024 school year.
While that might seem like a small drop, researchers warn even tiny dips in uptake allow the ultra-infectious virus to spread.
Experts are also concerned that the confirmation of Health Secretary nominee Robert F Kennedy Jr may worsen whooping cough vaccination rates as the 71-year-old has expressed doubts about the efficacy of vaccines.
‘He’ll make America sick again,’ Lawrence Gostin, a professor of public health law at Georgetown University said of RFK Jr.
Prior to the introduction of the pertussis vaccine in 1948, the US saw as many as 250,000 cases per year, but they have steadily dropped by more than 90 percent each year compared to the pre-vaccine era, the CDC states.
The CDC has also noted that the bacteria that causes whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis, is prone to mutations, which could make it able to evade vaccines.
Officials have been warning for months that the US is on track to see a staggering rise in pertussis cases.
Dr Marcos Mestre, chief clinical operations officer at Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami told CBS: ‘We have been seeing some increase in pertussis cases that are coming through our emergency departments.
‘Not necessarily requiring admission, but coming in for evaluation and treatment.
‘They’re coughing to the point that they can’t catch their breath. And those are the children we really worry about, when infants are getting infected and that could cause more severe illness.’
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