By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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THURSDAY, April 3, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Health experts are warning that whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is making a dangerous comeback.<\/p>\n
Cases are rising across the country, and Louisiana recently reported that two infants have died — the state\u2019s first deaths from the illness since 2018.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor infants, it\u2019s really rather terrifying,\u201d Dr. John Schieffelin<\/a>, an associate professor of pediatrics at Tulane University, told CNN<\/em>. \u201cThey\u2019re just coughing so much, they can\u2019t eat, they can\u2019t drink, and they often get a pneumonia, which means we have to put them on a ventilator. They just never stop coughing.\u201d<\/p>\n Whooping cough is a contagious illness that causes long, painful coughing fits.<\/p>\n Many have to be placed on ventilators due to pneumonia<\/a> and nonstop coughing, Schieffelin added.<\/p>\n So far this year, Louisiana has reported 110 cases of pertussis. That\u2019s close to the 154 total cases reported for all of 2024, CNN <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n The U.S. saw more than 35,000 cases last year — the most in over 10 years. Ten people also died, including six babies under 1 year old, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).<\/p>\n Experts say that low vaccination rates and fading immunity are driving the surge.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you start to see these outbreaks \u2026 it tends to be as a result of that increased circulation of the microbe in the community, as well as populations with no immunity or reduced immunity that are susceptible to the infection,\u201d Lisa Morici<\/a>, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Tulane University School of Medicine, told CNN<\/em>.<\/p>\n Children should get the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, or DTaP, vaccine at 2, 4, 6 and 15-18 months, and again at 4 to 6 years of age.<\/p>\n A booster (Tdap) is recommended at age 11 or 12, and again every 10 years for adults, according to the CDC<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pregnant women are urged to get the Tdap vaccine during their third trimester<\/a>. This helps protect babies too young to get vaccinated, according to the CDC.<\/p>\n The CDC says this prevents 78% of cases in newborns and is 91% effective at preventing hospital stays.<\/p>\n Schieffelin also recommends “cocooning,” a tactic in which family members and caregivers get vaccinated to help protect infants.<\/p>\n Declining vaccination rates are a big concern, experts say. Fewer kindergartners in the U.S. are getting the DTaP shots, leaving many kids at risk. Some experts also blame a lack of access to care.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially in a state like Louisiana, we\u2019ve got a lot of poverty. We\u2019ve got a lot of rural populations, and not everyone has access to regular medical care,\u201d Jennifer Herricks<\/a>, founder of Louisiana Families for Vaccines, told CNN.<\/em><\/p>\n Some are also worried about the messages about vaccination that are coming from the government.<\/p>\n \u201cThe State of Louisiana and [Louisiana Department of Health] have historically promoted vaccines for vaccine preventable illnesses through our parish health units, community health fairs, partnerships and media campaigns,\u201d state Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham<\/a> wrote in a memo. \u201cWhile we encourage each patient to discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with their provider, LDH will no longer promote mass vaccination.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Jennifer Avegno<\/a>, director of the New Orleans Health Department, warned about the consequences.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you cast aspersions or doubt about the safety and efficacy of one vaccine, I think it really has a ripple effect for all vaccines,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n Abraham has since shared pertussis vaccine guidance online, but Avegno fears that it may be too late.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been encouraged that our state Department of Health is putting out good messaging about pertussis, but I worry that it\u2019s going to get sort of lost in the shuffle,\u201d Avegno said. \u201cIt\u2019s maybe too little, too late.\u201d<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The Mayo Clinic has more information on whooping cough<\/a>.<\/p>\n