Doctors warn about the rise of Pertussis in the United States this year

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Mercy Health doctors are warning of the rise of Pertussis cases, also known as whooping cough, around the United States.

The Center for Disease Control says there have been nearly 5,000 cases reported so far this year, which is around three times higher than the total number of cases in 2023. The respiratory disease is spread through droplets in the air and can have serious effects on young children and babies. Doctors recommend that if you are feeling sick, you distance yourself from young children and stay on top of your kids' and your vaccines. 

“It’s a series of vaccines that we give to infants and to kids, kind of from 2 months to 6 years of age. And we get a booster when we are about 11 and 12, and every 10 years after that, we get another vaccine. So, if you are vaccinated, you will protect kids from it. If the kids are vaccinated, then they are protected as well,” says Dr. Julie Webster, Family Medicine Resident, Mercy Health-St. Rita’s. 

And staying on top of your booster vaccines as you transition from a pediatrician to a family doctor is important in the protection against whooping cough.

“We kind of lose patients around that age, when you are in your 20s and when you are in your 30s.  It’s really important to go in and see your doctor and update your vaccines. Because that is when you are having kids. So when you are in your 20s and your 30s, your kids are infants. So, that’s the time when you can easily spread these infections to these kids. So, make sure you are getting into your doctor and updating your typical screenings, and that includes your vaccinations,” adds Dr. Webster.

If you have any questions about your vaccinations, see your primary physician.