Whooping cough cases have been surging across the country over the last few months, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This year, there have been more than 32,000 cases — a number nearly six times higher than the number of cases in the U.S. this time last year. Oregon alone reported more than 1,000 cases, the highest since 1950, resulting in two deaths.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a contagious respiratory illness, but it is preventable with a common vaccine. For many, it can start with symptoms similar to the common cold, such as a runny nose, low-grade fever, and cough. However, a very painful cough can develop a week or two later. Coughing fits can become so severe that infected people vomit or break their ribs. A whooping sound usually accompanies the cough. Infants and young children are particularly sensitive to whooping cough.
During the pandemic, whooping cough dropped to lower levels as people practiced social distancing. The CDC says vaccination is the best way to protect against pertussis. However vaccination rates among children have declined over the last several years, including state-mandated vaccines that are required for kindergarten. The effectiveness of the whooping cough vaccine is about 91 percent. Before the vaccine, the average death rate in children was 10 percent.
