Whooping cough cases have surged since last year. Here’s what you need to know.

Photo above by CDC via Unsplash.

Nationwide, there has been more than a fourfold increase in cases of pertussis (also known as “whooping cough”) in the past year. Pennsylvania is one of three states with the highest numbers in the country.

So Kidsburgh spoke with Dr. Michael Petrosky from AHN Pediatrics to find out what local parents and caregivers need to know. We asked:

Why have cases increased? 

The increase has likely been caused by a dip in vaccination rates during and after the pandemic. Some kids missed routine vaccinations because they had fewer “well child” in-person doctor visits during the pandemic. Some families also were misled by misinformation that caused them to avoid potentially life-saving vaccinations, leading to lower immunity in the population.

Immunization is incredibly valuable, says Dr. Petrosky. So it’s important to “try to stay on top of vaccination.”

What can parents do? 

The whooping cough vaccine is part of the DTaP shot, so kids and adults get protected from three illnesses — whooping cough (pertussis), tetanus and diptheria — all with one shot.

To protect kids from whooping cough, you can get all family members and caregivers immunized with the DTaP vaccine. It’s important to include the adults, so that they don’t catch the illness and pass it on to kids.

Infants are usually given DTaP for the first time at their two-month checkup. But even younger infants can be protected: Pregnant women who get a DTaP booster during the last trimester of their pregnancy will likely pass some immunity on to their newborns. So even in the first seven months of life, those babies will have some protection. (Pregnant women can also help their babies by getting a flu vaccine and RSV vaccine during pregnancy.)

Supporting newborns by vaccinating during pregnancy is important, because infants are particularly vulnerable to severe complications from whooping cough. During a 2010 outbreak in California, there were 10 infant deaths from this illness.

What about boosters? 

“Immunization doesn’t last a lifetime, so you need boosters every so often,” Dr. Petrosky says.

DTaP boosters are generally given every 10 years for older kids and adults. So parents and other adult caregivers should make sure they’re up to date to prevent catching and passing along this illness.

What if someone in our family gets whooping cough? 

Early symptoms can be mistaken for a common cold, making it easier to spread the disease unknowingly. But the cough is persistent. For some people, it can last two or even three months, which is why whooping cough has been called “the cough of 100 days.”

And though older children and adults will likely get through this experience, infants are at more at risk for serious illness. Some need hospitalization.

So if someone in your house does get whooping cough, it’s a good idea to treat the whole household with antibiotics.  Especially with older kids, treatment won’t make the illness go away immediately. But antibiotics can make a person less contagious, which can protect others in their family.

Here’s some good news: Whooping cough isn’t as easily caught as the flu. So a child probably won’t catch it from another child if they’re only briefly exposed, unless they have close contact.