Whooping Cough Cases In Texas Quadrupled In Number Since Last Year
A health alert has been issued in Texas amid a surge in whooping cough cases.
Texas has issued a health alert this month amid a "significant increase" in whooping cough cases, officials said.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) confirmed more than 3,500 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, had been reported in October of this year, which is "roughly four times the number reported for the same period last year," per a recent news release, citing provisional data.
Whooping cough is easily preventable through a vaccine.
"This is the second consecutive year that Texas is experiencing high year-over-year increases in reported pertussis cases and the second consecutive year DSHS has issued a health alert," the DSHS stated.
Early symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a common cold, the agency said.
"Pertussis is a highly contagious illness caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis," the DSHS shared.
The department added, "One to two weeks after symptoms start, people may develop coughing fits (paroxysms). The cough generally gets worse and becomes more frequent as the illness continues and can cause people to vomit or make a 'whoop' sound as they breathe in between coughs. Coughing fits may continue for weeks or even months."
Whooping cough can be deadly, especially in infants and young children.
The DSHS is urging parents to vaccinate their children amid the growing number of whooping cough cases.
The agency said, "The best way to protect against pertussis is immunization. Parents should ensure children are up-to-date on pertussis immunizations, and pregnant women and others who will be around newborns should get a booster dose to protect babies from what can be a deadly infection."
"Clinicians should consider pertussis in people with compatible symptoms and report all suspected cases to the local health department within one work day," the DSHS added.
Experts have said that the increase in whooping cough cases has coincided with a decline in vaccination rates, according to The Texas Tribune.
“We practitioners and public health professionals are concerned because we are seeing a year-after-year trend of a significant increase in cases when this is preventable,” said Hector Ocaranza, a pediatrician and member of the Texas Medical Association’s Council on Science and Health Promotion. “Especially a disease that can have such a severe effect on infants, older people, and those who have chronic conditions.”
“Preventable” in this case means through vaccinations, which have been up for much debate due to our current administration’s questionable rhetoric, as well as Florida’s move to remove all mandates.
The CDC recently confirmed a decline in vaccination coverage in a post in July, stating, "During the 2024-2025 school year, vaccination coverage among kindergartners in the U.S. decreased for all reported vaccines from the year before, ranging from 92.1% for diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) to 92.5% for measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) and polio vaccine."
Whooping cough cases in the United States plummeted after the vaccine was introduced in the early 1950s. But since anti-vaccine propaganda has spread since the early 200s, cases have been increasing again.
