Whooping Cough Cases Soar
Over 7,100 pertussis cases reported, more than double compared to this time last year.
April 16, 2025
Cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, have skyrocketed by more than 1,500% nationwide since hitting a recent low in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ProPublica reported. Deaths tied to the disease are also up, hitting 10 last year, compared with about two to four in previous years. Cases are on track to exceed that total this year.
Already this year, more than 7,100 pertussis cases have been reported, more than double this time last year, CNN reported. Pertussis cases often spike in the summer and fall, which adds to experts’ concern about high numbers already this year.
Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease that can cause severe coughing fits, which may be especially dangerous for infants, young children, and individuals with compromised immune systems.
In February, the Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) announced its first confirmed death from pertussis in Washington state in more than a decade. A resident of Spokane County, under the age of 5, passed away in November of 2024, and the death was confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Washington State Department of Health has confirmed 807 cases statewide so far in 2025, compared to 148 cases reported by week 14 in 2024.
In Washington, infants under one year of age are among the most vulnerable to severe pertussis disease. Of the 57 infants who had pertussis so far in 2025: 52 were old enough to have received a dose of pertussis-containing vaccine, and 13 (23%) had received at least one dose.
In neighboring Oregon, the Oregon Public Health Division has reported 523 pertussis cases through the end of March, compared to 56 during the same time last year. Last year, Oregon reported two pertussis death as well as its highest number of cases since 1950, ProPublica said.
Idaho and South Dakota also each reported a pertussis death this year. In the past six months, two babies in Louisiana have died of the disease.
Health experts attribute the higher cases of pertussis to lower vaccination rates.
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