Whooping cough cases are increasing. What you should know about symptoms and treatment

“This increase is very concerning,” said Dr. Hugo Scornik, a pediatrician in Conyers and past president of the Georgia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “This is a very serious disease. This vaccine, like many others, is affected by parental vaccine hesitancy, especially during the pandemic. Everyone really needs to get vaccinated and keep their vaccinations up to date.”

Infants are at increased risk for serious complications from whooping cough. According to the March of Dimes, about half of all babies who contract whooping cough end up in the hospital.

Babies can't get their first whooping cough vaccine until they're 2 months old. And although most adults are vaccinated as children, protection wanes over time, so it's especially important that pregnant women and family members who are around young children keep their whooping cough vaccines up to date.

“It is a life-threatening disease, especially in babies younger than two months who have not been vaccinated. It is very scary. Normally these babies have to To the intensive care unit, so it is very worrying if there is “There is increased transmission of whooping cough in our state,” Scornik said.

Whooping cough is often confused with a cold or flu. It is a highly contagious respiratory disease and is transmitted through coughing and sneezing.

After being infected with whooping cough, it takes about seven to 10 days for signs and symptoms to appear, according to the Mayo Clinic, but sometimes it can take longer. The first symptoms are often similar to a cold – runny nose, cough, and low-grade fever. After a week or two, however, symptoms can worsen, leading to rapid, violent coughing fits that can last up to three months.

According to Scornik, babies who contract whooping cough may have a cold-like illness, have trouble breathing, or may even stop breathing (called apnea).

The disease is often characterized by a strong dry cough followed by a high-pitched breath that sounds like “wheezing.” But not everyone experiences this.

Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics and early treatment can reduce the severity of the infection.

Whooping cough is covered by a single vaccine called “Tdap” as it protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough). Babies and young children are recommended to receive one vaccination in a series of five vaccinations starting at 2 months of age.

Any older adult who did not receive the Tdap vaccine as an adolescent should receive a dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC. The CDC also recommends that adults consider getting the Tdap vaccine every 10 years.

Photo credit: CDC

Photo credit: CDC

According to the CDC, most whooping cough symptoms can be treated at home, but according to the Mayo Clinic, people should see a doctor if symptoms include vomiting, turning blue or red, and noticeable pauses in breathing.

Before the availability of the whooping cough vaccine in the 1940s, there were more than 200,000 cases of whooping cough in the United States each year

The incidence of whooping cough and other infectious diseases declined soon after the pandemic began as people wore masks and practiced social distancing. However, during the pandemic, some children also missed doctor's appointments and vaccinations, which can make them vulnerable to future illnesses.

Attitudes toward vaccines have changed particularly during the pandemic, as people became skeptical about COVID-19 shots and this hesitancy spread to long-standing vaccines. Doctors and health officials are therefore concerned that parental resistance to routine childhood vaccinations could increase, leading to a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

As the number of previously common childhood diseases decreases, the fear of serious infections has gradually diminished.

Vaccines have become “victims of their own success,” Scornik said.

About whooping cough

Causes: Whooping cough, or pertussis, is caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny germ-containing droplets are sprayed into the air and inhaled into the lungs of anyone who happens to be nearby.

Risk factors: Infants under 12 months of age who are not vaccinated or have not received all recommended vaccinations are at highest risk of serious complications and death.

Prevention: The best prevention against whooping cough is the whooping cough vaccine, which doctors often administer in combination with vaccinations against two other serious diseases – diphtheria and tetanus. Doctors recommend starting vaccinations in infancy.

In adults, protection against whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria and tetanus is maintained by a booster every 10 years.

SOURCE: Mayo Clinic