Texas has reported more than 3,500 whooping cough cases this year, four times the number from the same period last year and the highest in 11 years, according to state health officials.
The Texas Department of State Health Services issued a health alert, noting more than half of last year’s cases occurred in November and December. This marks the second straight year of sharp increases.
Nationally, at least 20,939 cases were recorded through late September, per the latest CDC data before a government shutdown halted updates, according to ABC News,
“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, per The Texas Tribune. “Especially a disease that can have such a severe effect on infants, older people, and those who have chronic conditions.”
About 85% of Texas cases involve children, with no deaths reported. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, begins like a cold but can cause prolonged coughing fits that last for weeks or months.
Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio, warned of risks during the holiday season.
“Oftentimes parents with a newborn infant don’t feel comfortable telling people to wash their hands or not to visit if they have a cough during the holidays, but they need to feel empowered and comfortable to do that right now,” he said, the Tribune reported.
Leilani Valdes, pathology chair at Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, cited fading vaccine immunity, missed boosters, and better testing.
“While an increase isn’t completely unexpected, the size of this one is unusual and something public health officials are keeping a close eye on,” she said, per the Tribune.
Kindergartner vaccination rates dropped to 92.1% in the 2024-25 school year, from approximately 95% before the pandemic, according to CDC data. In Texas, 92.9% of kindergarteners and 93.4% of seventh graders were fully vaccinated.
Health officials recommend Tdap boosters for individuals 7 years and older, DTaP for young children, and vaccination during pregnancy between 27 and 36 weeks. Early antibiotics can lessen the severity and spread.
“Simple steps like washing your hands, covering your cough, and keeping distance from babies when ill can go a long way in preventing the spread,” Valdes said, per the Tribune.