Whooping Cough Cases Climb In The U.S.

Statistics show that the number of pertussis or whooping cough cases in California have jumped five times higher than those reported last year to 10,000 cases, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

"Pertussis incidence is likely to continue to increase in the United States due to the natural cycle of disease and the waning of immunity conferred by currently available vaccines," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted. "Strategies to prevent the most severe cases of pertussis, which occur primarily in young infants, should be prioritized."

Though a vaccination is available, statistics show that many infants who develop whooping cough had mothers who had not be properly vaccinated for the health issue.

Children vaccinated for the health issue receive a slightly different vaccine, known as diphtheria, tetanus and accellular pertussis, or DTaP. They are supposed to get it at 2, 4 and 6 months of age, while everyone should receive a booster in every 10 years or so.

"Very few mothers of infants with pertussis had received Tdap during pregnancy; many more were vaccinated after delivery, which does not confer any direct protection to the infant and is no longer a preferred strategy," the researchers noted, in a news release. "Recently published data indicate that Tap vaccination coverage among pregnant women [in California] was only 19.5 percent in 2012."

If you or your child has not been vaccinated, talk to your doctor.