Pertussis Cases Soaring As Vaccination Rates Decline

ProPublica (4/11, Eldeib, Callahan) reported that amid the measles outbreak in West Texas, “cases of pertussis have skyrocketed by more than 1,500% nationwide since hitting a recent low in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths tied to the disease are also up, hitting 10 last year, compared with about two to four in previous years.” In 2021, the CDC reported 2,116 pertussis cases; last year, there were 35,435. Four months into 2025, “7,111 cases have been reported, which is more than double this time last year.” A ProPublica analysis of the most recent federal kindergarten vaccination data indicate that national rates for four major vaccines “have fallen significantly” in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical authorities may view measles “as the canary in the coal mine, but pertussis cases may also be a warning, albeit one that has attracted far less attention.” Federal cuts to public health funding and staffing “could heighten the risk.”