As case numbers rise, public health officials are warning of yet another difficult year of battling pertussis infections, according to a report from the Associated Press.
Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is mostly seen in infants and young children. The number of reported cases this year has reached 8,485, which is twice as many cases as recorded this time last year. Two infants in Louisiana and a 5-year-old in Washington state have died from pertussis in the past six months.
While the number of pertussis cases dipped during the COVID-19 pandemic due to social distancing and masking, case numbers rose in 2024. However, experts said this uptick was not unexpected as the illness peaks every two to five years.
Still, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses, like pertussis, could be a sign of the public’s attitudes toward vaccines. Kindergarten vaccination rates fell last year in the United States, with the number of children with vaccine exemptions hitting an all-time high, the AP reported.
Because the risk for infection in infants is highest before they can get their first vaccine at 2 months of age, the vaccine is also recommended during pregnancy. However, the number of mothers getting the vaccine in pregnancy is suboptimal.
One of the states hit hardest by the illness last year was Pennsylvania. So far this year, the state has recorded 207 cases, the AP reported. Michigan is another state with high case numbers. The state has recorded 516 cases so far this year, mostly among children aged 5 to 17 years. Michigan reported a total of 2,081 cases last year.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends pertussis vaccines for infants and children, adolescents, and pregnant women. Adults who did not receive a vaccine either as an adolescent or adult should also receive a dose of pertussis vaccine.
Source: HealthDay
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