Washington State is now in the middle of a big whooping cough, or pertussis outbreak with nearly 1,200 cases reported this year 2024 while it only had 51 cases the same period last year. This trend is part of a national rising tide, as cases of whooping cough have reached 22,345 in the U.S. up to early November, CDC reports with five times as many as reported at the same period in 2023. According to data, the country reports this many or more cases after 2014. Officials in Washington do not find it easy to applaud such large numbers, particularly in infants most vulnerable to severe complications from the illness.
Among 124 cases reported in Washington this year, 106 were of an age that would have been immunized with pertussis vaccine. The shots are recommended for infants and children, and experts say booster shots appear to be declining, especially among older adolescents and adults. These vaccines include DTaP for little children and Tdap for booster shots in older children, adults, and pregnant women.
The number of cases has been on the rise to cause 28 hospitalizations across Washington, where 12 infants have ended up. Whooping cough is the highly contagious disease-causing respiratory infection due to Bordetella pertussis bacteria, usually transferred through coughs and sneezes. The early symptoms seem like common cold but quickly worsen to severe paroxysms of coughing, predisposing to more serious complications like rib fractures and vomiting.
According to experts like Dr. Scott Roberts, Yale School of Medicine, the fast-rising cases are contributed by dropping vaccination rates. ” The most significant reason for this surge in cases is the lack of timely booster doses,” he explained. According to health officials, vaccination is still the best preventive measure against the virus and is reminding people to get informed about vaccination schedules as respiratory illnesses climb their peak with the onset of the colder months.
