Cases of whooping cough are increasing in the United States. Experts say routine vaccination is the best way to prevent infection. ozgurcankaya/Getty ImagesNew data from the CDC shows whooping cough is making a comeback, with case numbers returning to “pre-pandemic levels.” Experts believe that the lack of routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic may be partially responsible for the rise in whooping cough cases. Symptoms of whooping cough include coughing and difficulty breathing, which can be life-threatening for infants. Following the recommended routine immunization schedule is the best way to protect yourself from this bacterial infection.
A preventable disease that causes coughs, seizures, and difficulty breathing is on the rise in the United States.
As of October 5, approximately 17,579 pertussis cases had been reported, the highest in the Mid-Atlantic states. In comparison, there were only 3,962 pertussis cases this time last year.
In June, the CDC warned that pertussis cases were on the rise and “returning to a more typical pre-pandemic cyclical pattern of more than 10,000 annual cases.”
Experts say the five-fold increase in whooping cough cases over the past year is partly due to missed routine vaccinations during the coronavirus pandemic.
Although infants are most at risk of severe illness and death, whooping cough can affect older children and young people. Vaccination against pertussis with the DTaP or Tdap vaccine (depending on age) reduces risk, but protection weakens over time and can lead to outbreaks.
The current whooping cough surge coincides with the winter respiratory virus season, so the number of cases is relatively low compared to influenza, RSV, or COVID-19. Still, the rise in pertussis cases remains a public health concern.
“The numbers are smaller, but it’s not easy, because we don’t want anyone to get whooping cough,” said William Schaffner, M.D., professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. ” he said. .
Healthline spoke to Schaffner to learn more about what’s causing the surge in whooping cough cases and why it’s important to follow a regular vaccination schedule to prevent infection.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Schaffner: Pertussis has declined significantly over the last few years, but you don’t hear whooping cough talked about so much that it has the feel of an infectious disease found in history books.
Whooping cough, or whooping cough, is a bacterial infection that is transmitted by close contact through droplets. Infections can cause inflammation of the throat and bronchial tubes, and the patient’s airways are so narrow that they can swell and cause breathing difficulties.
What happens inside the body is that as the bacteria multiply, they produce a series of proteins that are released into the body and these toxins cause disease. These toxins remain in the body and cause prolonged coughing attacks.
The Tdap vaccine protects us from the effects of these toxins. We routinely include vaccination against whooping cough among the immunizations that children begin receiving very early in life, but over time the protection may wear off, so preventive measures must continue. Even mild pertussis is still a very troublesome and troublesome infection.
Dr. Schaffner: Whooping cough is not the traditional type of cough, but instead causes a series of cough attacks that occur together. Therefore, you may have difficulty breathing during a coughing attack. When they stop, you inhale and that’s the “whoosh” sound.
This disease is called the “100-day cough” because the coughing attacks last for a long time.
During a coughing attack, it can be severe enough to cause you to faint, and you can injure yourself if you fall.
Additionally, these cough attacks can occur at any time and can be very disruptive to your life. If your sleep is disrupted, you’ll feel worse the next day and won’t be able to function optimally. So these are very nasty infections.
Schaffner: The main reason is that during COVID-19, we all stayed home and didn’t go to the doctor for fear of getting infected with COVID-19, so we started getting a lot of medical care via telemedicine. I think so.
As a result, vaccination schedules for both children and adults have been delayed and routine vaccinations must continue to maintain protection from whooping cough.
The current surge is affecting children who have not received the full Tdap series or have not received the full Tdap vaccine. Young adults who missed the series may also be affected.
Dr. Schaffner: Whooping cough can be life-threatening to infants. However, this bacterial infection can also affect older adolescents and young adults who are not kept up to date with vaccinations.
Childhood immunizations begin at an early age. Children receive a series of diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTdap) vaccines at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, followed by a fourth dose at 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years of age.
Adults should get Tdap updates every 10 years. Whooping cough does not affect older people as much. This is because there is now a different vaccine in use that is more effective in a relatively short period of time and has far fewer side effects than the previous Tdap vaccine. However, the period of protection is not as long as with older vaccines.
Another group that needs vaccination is pregnant people. It is recommended to take Tdap during every pregnancy. It is not so beneficial for mothers. Because that protection crosses the placenta and begins protecting newborns and infants before vaccination begins.
Once the baby is born, anyone who wants to visit the baby must have an up-to-date Tdap vaccination. Because we want to create a cocoon of protection around these vulnerable babies.
New data from the CDC shows whooping cough cases have increased fivefold over the past year, returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Experts say the increase could be partly due to a lack of routine vaccinations during the coronavirus pandemic. Continued hesitancy toward vaccination may also be contributing to the increase in pertussis cases.
Following a regular immunization schedule is the best protection against whooping cough, which can be fatal for infants.
