A measles outbreak centered in Texas is drawing a lot of attention, but ProPublica reports that another disease is seeing a potentially worrisome spike in cases: whooping cough, aka pertussis. Among the stats:
- The CDC reported 2,116 cases in 2021, amid the pandemic, when schools were shut down; last year, the numbers spiked to 35,435 and were on track to eclipse that this year.
- Ten deaths were reported last year, up from two to four in previous years, and that total also is expected to be eclipsed in 2025.
- The deaths include two babies in Louisiana in the past six months, one in Washington state that was the first in a decade, and one each in Idaho and South Dakota. Last year, Oregon reported its first two deaths since 1950.
The story ties the increase to a decline in vaccines. It notes that kindergarten vaccination data shows that vaccination rates for pertussis have steadily declined since the pandemic, along with those for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, and polio. Taking a broader look, at least three dozen states have seen a drop in rates for at least one major vaccine from 2013 to 2023. "This is not just measles," says Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious diseases doctor in New York City. "It's a bright-red warning light." The story includes the views of those who see the matter as a personal choice, and frames it all in the backdrop of cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime skeptic of vaccines. (Read the full story.)
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