There have been over 32,000 cases of whooping cough this year, CDC data shows—the highest toll seen in a decade.

By Ed Cara Published December 26, 2024 | Comments (0)

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Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is making a comeback that no one asked for. Recent federal data shows that cases of the vaccine-preventable disease this year have reached the highest levels in a decade.

As of December 14, there have been 32,085 cases of pertussis reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this year. The toll represents a fivefold increase from the tally recorded in 2023, which only saw around 6,500 cases. There are several factors to blame for the surge, experts say, including declining vaccination rates.

Pertussis is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The infection typically causes respiratory symptoms, most notably fits of coughing that have inspired its nickname (the “whooping” refers to the noise people often make when trying to breath after coughing). Though pertussis is typically mild in adults, the infection can be more serious in young children or other vulnerable populations, such as people with weakened immune systems.

While the first pertussis vaccine was invented over a century ago, it wasn’t widely recommended and used until the late 1940s, when it paired with vaccines for tetanus and diphtheria. The combination shot has been a mainstay of vaccination programs in the U.S. ever since, and it’s helped greatly reduce the burden of pertussis. Prior to mass vaccination, for instance, there were between 100,000 and 300,000 cases of pertussis reported annually in the U.S.