Whooping cough has sickened 16,000 Americans this year, the highest number of cases since 2014. Experts warn that the number of infections could continue to grow as winter approaches. Infants are most vulnerable to the virus, as 1 out of 3 babies infected need hospitalization.
“More children are going back to school now, [which leads to] greater exposure,” said Dr. Eric Chow, Chief of Epidemiology and Immunization at the Seattle and King County public health agency. “We’re coming up on the kind of winter season when people are spending more time indoors with other people.”
Experts point to a few explanations for the upward trend in cases. Because physicians are testing more often for whooping cough than in the past, they’re confirming more cases. Research suggests that the bacteria responsible for whooping cough has also mutated. As a result the vaccine may not work as well as it once did. In addition, some people who fell behind on their vaccines in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic haven’t yet caught up.
