The sneaking rise of whooping cough

“Not Just Measles”: Whooping cough cases are soaring as vaccine rates decline

In the past six months, two babies in Louisiana have died of pertussis, the disease commonly known as whooping cough. Washington state recently announced its first confirmed death from pertussis in more than a decade. Idaho and South Dakota each reported a death this year, and Oregon last year reported two, as well as its highest number of cases since 1950. While much of the country is focused on the spiraling measles outbreak concentrated in th…

The sneaking rise of whooping cough

A measles outbreak has been keeping American health care professionals on their toes, but experts say we should also be wary of another preventable disease: whooping cough. This illness typically presents with a recognizable, harsh cough, and it can be especially dangerous for infants. With the prevalence of vaccines on the decline, experts say the whooping cough outbreak will likely worsen. Putting our youngest at risk After a dip in diagnoses …