Waning immunity and falling vaccination rates fuel pertussis outbreaks

"Rates of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are surging in Texas, Florida, California, Oregon, and other states and localities across the country. The outbreaks are fueled by falling vaccination rates, fading immunity, and delays in public health tracking systems, according to interviews with state and federal health officials. Babies too young to be fully vaccinated are most at risk."

"Pertussis cases increase in a cyclical fashion driven by waning immunity, but the size of the outbreak and the potential for severe outcomes in children who cannot be vaccinated can be mitigated by high coverage and good communication to folks at risk, said Demetre Daskalakis, a former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's immunization program, who resigned in August."

"Before the first pertussis vaccine became available in the early 1900s, whooping cough was one of the most common childhood diseases and a major cause of childhood death in the United States. Today, children get a series of DTaP shots (full-dose version) starting at 2 months old, and teens and adults receive a Tdap booster (lower-dose version) every 10 years. (Both vaccines target diphtheria and tetanus in addition to pertussis.)"

Rates of pertussis are surging across multiple states, including Texas, Florida, California, and Oregon, with outbreaks driven by falling vaccination rates, waning immunity, and delays in public health tracking. Babies too young to be fully vaccinated face the highest risk of severe disease. Pertussis follows cyclical increases from waning immunity, but high vaccine coverage and clear communication can mitigate outbreak size and severe outcomes. Historically, whooping cough caused major childhood mortality before vaccines; current prevention uses DTaP for young children and Tdap boosters for teens and adults. Vaccine coverage declined after the COVID-19 pandemic and rising nonmedical exemptions widened immunity gaps, leading to record case counts in 2024–2025.

Read at kffhealthnews.org