Whooping cough has been on the rise in the U.S. for years—and cases are continuing to soar in 2025. Meanwhile, fewer Americans are getting vaccinated against it.
Here’s what to know about the ongoing surge in whooping cough cases.
A bad year for whooping cough
In 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 2,116 cases of whooping cough. In 2024, it reported 35,435 cases. So far this year, there have been 7,111 reported cases of whooping cough, according to an analysis by ProPublica. That’s more than double the number of cases reported by the same time in 2024.
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Vaccination rates for whooping cough have fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to ProPublica’s analysis of the most recent federal kindergarten vaccination data. Far fewer people are getting routine childhood vaccinations against other diseases as well, such as hepatitis B, polio, and measles, mumps, and rubella.
What is whooping cough?
Also known as pertussis, whooping cough is a respiratory infection. It can affect people of any age, but babies younger than one year old are at the greatest risk for getting infected and developing serious symptoms or complications, according to the CDC.
Early symptoms can mirror those of a common cold, including a slight fever, mild or occasional coughing, a runny or stuffy nose, a sore throat, and watery eyes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. After one or two weeks, the cough can turn into prolonged and violent coughing episodes that can interfere with everyday activities, making it hard to eat, sleep, or breathe. People may also make a “whoop” sound when they inhale and may even vomit from the episodes.
How contagious is it?
Whooping cough is highly contagious. According to the Cleveland Clinic, someone who has whooping cough can spread it to others from the onset of symptoms until three weeks after they begin experiencing prolonged coughing fits.
Is there a vaccine?
Yes, and the CDC recommends that everyone get vaccinated against whooping cough.
There are two types of combination vaccines that protect against whooping cough, as well as diphtheria and tetanus. One is called DTap, which children get starting at two months, and the other is called Tdap, which people get around age 11, according to the CDC. Women also get a dose of the Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy to boost their own protection and confer some to their child before they’re able to get vaccinated. All adults should get a Tdap booster every 10 years; protection may wane some over time.
The vaccine can reduce a person’s risk of getting whooping cough or having severe complications if they do get infected, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
How is it treated?
Whooping cough is usually treated with antibiotics. The medication will help prevent a person who is infected from spreading whooping cough to others, according to the Cleveland Clinic. While it won’t prevent the coughing fits, if a person takes it early enough, it may make their symptoms less severe.
If a person is severely ill with whooping cough, the CDC advises that they may need to be admitted to the hospital so that medical providers can monitor their breathing and give them oxygen and fluids if needed. According to the CDC, about a third of babies under age one who get infected with whooping cough need to be treated in a hospital.
The agency’s data reveal that the most common complications for children younger than one are apnea—pauses in breathing that can be life-threatening—and pneumonia. One in 100 babies under the age of one will die from their complications, according to the CDC.
Chantelle Lee
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