Whooping cough cases rise as vaccination rates decline

Whooping cough cases soared to more than 34,400 in 2024 ─ a 1,500% jump nationwide from the 2,116 cases reported in 2021 as vaccination hesitancy increases and vaccination rates decline. Four states have announced five deaths so far this year. Physicians, researchers and public health officials say preventable disease outbreaks could worsen with falling vaccination rates and the administration cutting spending on the public health infrastructure. Besides whooping cough and measles, mumps and rubella shots, federal data show vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B and polio have also dropped. Public health officials are particularly worried about outbreaks starting in the counties and communities with far lower vaccination rates. (ProPublica article, 4/11/25)