Whooping cough cases are surging across the country, with there being over four times as many cases compared to 2023. Experts believe this spike has to do with vaccine fatigue following the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Dr. Tina Tan, who leads the Infectious Diseases Society of America, many outbreaks are occurring in kids and teens who are unvaccinated.
While infants receive the DTaP vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, as part of their routine vaccines, its efficacy tends to wane over time.
Last Friday, the Food and Drug Administration came together to discuss the need for longer-lasting versions of the vaccine.
Until they’re available, vaccine boosters are recommended every 10 years, as kids enter middle school.
According to experts, it’s the tween and teen groups whose immunity against the pertussis bacteria has waned that’s driving the current outbreaks in the U.S.
On Thursday, more than 14,500 cases of whooping cough were confirmed by the CDC. This is a huge jump compared to the 3,400 cases from last year. Doctors also believe the current case numbers are a ‘vast underestimate’ of its true spread as the bacteria is highly contagious.
While the illness itself is called pertussis, it’s more commonly known as ‘whooping cough’ as those infected tend to make a ‘whooping’ sound during coughing fits, especially babies and infants.
According to Dr. Tan, the outspread can be attributed to growing vaccine hesitancy. This has caused whooping cough cases to increase among adolescents as well as adults as they are not adequately protected from the illness.
Certain areas of the U.S. are also seeing significant spikes, including Wisconsin, whose health department said case numbers are already 10 times higher than those of last year’s.
While anyone can get whooping cough, those between the ages of 11 and 18 currently make up almost half of all reported cases.
Dr. Andrew Carlson, a pediatrician based in Connecticut, said they have not seen this many cases of whooping cough in more than 15 years. As of October, there has already been over 110 confirmed cases, compared to just 11 last year.
Consequences of Whooping Cough
Many people with lingering coughs end up going to the doctor but are sent home after testing negative for Covid or the flu.
This can be a major issue as the bacteria that causes the cough can spread for a long time, up to four weeks, if not properly treated.
Newborn babies are also at risk. Due to the size of their airways, their bodies are unable to handle the coughing fits, which means many must be put on ventilators. In many cases, they are also unable to drink or eat.
Because of this, pregnant women should get a vaccine booster during their third trimester. That will provide their newborn with some protection when they’re born. This is crucial as they will be the most vulnerable to the disease during this period.
The babies should then receive their first round of vaccines when they are 2 months old.