Summary

Whooping cough cases in the U.S. have surged to over 32,000 in 2024, marking the highest annual total in a decade and a six-fold increase from 2023.

Experts attribute the rise to waning vaccine immunity, declining vaccination rates, and improved diagnostic testing.

Infants are most vulnerable, with severe cases requiring intensive care, and unvaccinated children are at highest risk.

Vaccination rates have declined despite high levels. Health officials urge vaccination to combat the resurgence, emphasizing the disease’s potentially fatal complications.

  • collapse_already@lemmy.ml
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    23 hours ago

    My vaccinated teen recently had this. He wasn’t diagnosed until his fourth doctor’s appointment. His cough sounded terrifying. He got instantly better when they gave him the correct antibiotic (he finished a 10 day course of augmentin with virtually no improvement earlier in his illness). He still hasn’t been completely healthy even though he has been “over it” for a couple of weeks.

    My observations: I can see how pertussis could be life threatening in the very young or old and fuck antivaxxers - we ought to have herd immunity.

    • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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      2 days ago

      Someone needs to remove RFK Jr from power before he gets everyone killed. But I worry that he’s just the tip of the moronberg.

      • YtA4QCam2A9j7EfTgHrH@infosec.pub
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        2 days ago

        Unfortunately. I bet they don’t because their parents by and large weren’t selfish assholes. So the antivaxers are vaccinated. Their poor children are going to suffer for the ignorance of their parents and it makes me furious.

  • Catoblepas
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    2 days ago

    Good opportunity to get your tetanus booster, if you haven’t within the past 10 years; Tdap protects against tetanus, whooping cough, and diphtheria.

    • AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net
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      19 hours ago

      I once heard a baby with whooping cough. I’m almost crying now just remembering. I think that sound would change the mind of many anti-vaxxers, except by the time people hear it, it is too late to prevent their anti-vax beliefs causing harm

  • RedditWanderer@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Wait till they ban vaccines in the U.S. You won’t hear big pharma complain, it’s much more expensive to continuously treat than to eradicate/vwccinate or cure.

    Big corpos are lining up for one hell of a 4 year feast, and it’s going to take decades to undo the damage. Thanks Obama.