The US is having its worst year for pertussis in over a decade. Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, has sickened 26,632 people in 2025, the most cases since 2014. The resurgence of this dangerous disease is being fueled largely by falling vaccination rates. Whooping cough is a vaccine-preventable illness. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises advises parents to get their kids 4 doses of the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) vaccine by the start of kindergarten.
According to an NBC News analysis of 31 states plus the District of Columbia, 70% of the counties have dropped under the 95% vaccination rate needed for herd immunity. Herd immunity – or community protection – helps shield newborns too young to get vaccinated. This community protection also helps protect people with weakened immune systems who aren’t fully protected by the vaccine.
About 1 in 3 infants with whooping cough will require hospitalization and approximately 1 in 100 will die. The US has reported 13 deaths from whooping cough this year.
Full Story: NBC News, The Independent, CIDRAP
