DENVER (KDVR) — Cases of whooping cough are on the rise across the U.S. and in Colorado, including Jefferson and El Paso counties.
Pre-pandemic levels for whooping cough cases were in the tens of thousands — in 2019, the CDC recorded just over 18,600 cases.
But in 2023, the nation only had 5,611 pertussis cases — the same level of reported cases as in the 1970s.
Why are whooping cough cases on the rise?
How to prevent spreading whooping cough The most common way to spread whooping cough is by coughing or sneezing on people who are in close contact.
DENVER (KDVR) — Whooping cough cases are increasing nationwide. A. and Colorado, which includes the counties of Jefferson and El Paso.
In October, students at Cheyenne Mountain High School received a comprehensive letter outlining the school’s investigation into a case of the illness. The highly contagious disease was warned to locals earlier this month by Jefferson County Public Health.
Local health departments are not alone, as the Centers for Disease Control warned in July that whooping cough was reverting to its pre-pandemic levels. As few as 2,116 cases of whooping cough have been reported nationwide in recent years, which worries health officials. A.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, typically begins as a cold with runny nose and other typical symptoms before developing into a protracted cough that is distinguishable by the “whooping” sound that sick people typically make during this stage of the illness. Antibiotics are used to treat it, but a vaccine can stop it.
The 1940s saw the introduction of a vaccine against whooping cough, which is now a standard component of childhood vaccinations. It is included in the vaccination along with the tetanus and diphtheria shots. Every ten years, adults should get the combo shot.
The CDC reported just over 18,600 cases of whooping cough in 2019, compared to pre-pandemic levels of tens of thousands. The illness affected more than 48,200 people nationwide in 2012.
However, the number of reported cases of pertussis in the country was only 5,611 in 2023, which is comparable to the number in the 1970s. This is because, even though a vaccine had been produced to prevent the illness since 1948, states had enacted legislation mandating vaccinations for children prior to their enrollment in public schools by the middle of the 1960s.
Why is the number of whooping cough cases increasing?
The CDC reports that 13 cases of pertussis have been reported in Colorado. So far this year, there have been 467 cases in total, with 24 cases recorded as the highest number at one point in time. Until October. According to the CDC, Colorado had just 147 cases on 19/2023, which is more than three times fewer than the 2024 case total.
Colorado is not among the states that have been hit the hardest, though. Thus far this year, California has reported more than 1,200 cases, while Wisconsin, Illinois, and New York State (apart from New York City) have reported comparable figures.
The CDC said earlier in October that vaccine exemptions are at an all-time high and that national kindergarten vaccination rates fell in 2023. Approximately 92% of kindergarten students nationwide received the whooping cough vaccine, according to data released earlier in October.
According to public health officials, whooping cough outbreaks are affecting older children and teenagers, as evidenced by the case that was reported at the El Paso County high school. Typically, the population with the highest number of cases is infants and young children.
In 2017, Colorado’s vaccination rate for the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine at three months of age fell below the national average of 87 percent, with 86 percent of children aged three and up having received the vaccine, according to data from the National Immunization Survey.
According to the CDC, the pre-pandemic whooping cough case rates may have been caused by people not taking as many precautions to stop the spread of colds and other diseases that are easy to spread.
How to stop whooping cough from spreading.
Coughing or sneezing on close contacts is the most common way that whooping cough is spread. Health officials claim that the most contagious period for pertussis patients is the first two weeks following the onset of the cough.
Coughing fits can also be harmful. According to the CDC, they can cause vomiting, trouble sleeping, rib fractures, or simply exhaustion after the fit.
The CDC reported that people who experience these coughing fits describe it as the worst cough they have ever had.
Additionally, vulnerable groups, like infants under one year old, are particularly vulnerable to the disease. Infants can be shielded by their parents by avoiding contact with people who are coughing or have cold symptoms.
Denver Health states that receiving the recommended vaccination and subsequent booster shots is the most effective method of preventing the spread of pertussis. To further stop the spread of the airborne illness, the Jefferson County Health Department advises Colorado residents to do the following.
Wash your hands often with warm water and soap.
When ill, stay at home.
Increase the amount of fresh air in your house.
Put on a mask to keep your roommates safe.
For care, anyone who is worried about the illness can get in touch with their general practitioner or the local health department.
This report was aided by the Associated Press.