Cases of whooping cough are increasing sharply throughout the United States

Cases of whooping cough are increasing sharply throughout the United States

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a vaccine-preventable disease that is on the rise in the United States. After a multi-year lull during the pandemic, whooping cough cases increased six-fold in 2024 and remain high. As of Dec. 6, data shows more than 26,600 U.S. cases have been reported this year, fewer than the comparable period in 2024 but more than four times more than all of 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC reports that there are “preliminary case report numbers.” [of pertussis] In some states, you have to go back decades to find cases of whooping cough as high as those documented since 2020. Oregon's 1,475 cases on Dec. 10 surpassed "the previous annual record of 1,420 cases set in 1950," according to The Oregonian. Kentucky, which had not registered any According to Kentucky officials and cited by the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), the number of deaths from pertussis in infants rose this year for the third time since 2018.

A nationally representative panel survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania finds that many people are unfamiliar with the symptoms of the disease as cases rise. Almost a third of respondents (30%) are not sure whether whooping cough is the same as whooping cough (it is true), and more than a third (35%) are not sure whether there is a vaccine that prevents whooping cough (it is true). Both results come from a survey of 1,637 U.S. adults conducted Nov. 17 to Dec. 17. 1, 2025, are statistically unchanged from an APPC survey on whooping cough a year earlier, in November 2024.

What the CDC Recommends

There is widespread agreement about the causes and risks of whooping cough.

“The outbreaks are being fueled by declining vaccination rates, waning immunity and lags in public health surveillance systems, according to interviews with state and federal health officials,” CBS News reported in mid-November 2025. “Babies too young to be fully vaccinated are most at risk.”

The CDC recommends two combination vaccines to protect against pertussis or whooping cough, both of which have been shown to be safe and effective in safety reviews. The Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) vaccine for children seven years and older and adults is specifically recommended for adolescents (ages 11 to 12 years); for pregnant women between the 27th and 36th weeks. week of pregnancy; and for other adults who have not received the vaccine. The DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis) is recommended in a five-injection series for young children - babies aged 2, 4 and 6 months; at 15-18 months; and between 4 and 6 years old.

The MMR vaccine, which covers measles, mumps and rubella, is also known colloquially as the measles vaccine. Instead of talking about the DTaP and Tdap vaccines and using the unfamiliar term “pertussis,” health experts should reiterate that our best protection against whooping cough is the whooping cough vaccine.”

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, APPC Director

Although most people know that there is a vaccine to prevent whooping cough, there are many who do not. The survey shows a statistically significant decrease in those who say there is a vaccine to protect against whooping cough (57% compared to 63% in 2023).

Vaccination recommendation for adolescents and adults

The CDC recommends everyone get vaccinated against whooping cough, which is spread by coughing or sneezing. The illness may initially resemble a cold, but may result in "rapid, violent, and uncontrolled coughing fits" a week to two weeks after symptoms appear. Although vaccinated people can still experience whooping cough, the disease is generally milder.

The vast majority of U.S. adults (83%) say they would likely recommend Tdap vaccination to a child age 11 to 12 in their household or an adult in their family who is scheduled to receive their 10-year booster shot, according to the survey. And over three-quarters (77%) say they believe the Tdap vaccine provides effective protection against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, although 17% are unsure. Only 13% say they fear they or someone in their family will get whooping cough in the next three months.

Less than half would recommend Tdap to a pregnant person

Until infants are two months old and can be vaccinated, their protection relies on their mothers' antibodies, which is why the CDC recommends that "pregnant women should receive a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy, preferably early in the third trimester, to protect the newborn from pertussis."

Still, fewer than half of Americans (46%) say they would likely recommend a pregnant woman take the Tdap vaccine, according to a separate August 2025 APPC national panel survey of 1,699 adults. This represents no change from 2023.

Are whooping cough and whooping cough the same disease? Many are unsure.

When asked to choose between a range of definitions for a condition called whooping cough in the current survey, 6 in 10 adults (61%) correctly chose whooping cough. However, thirty percent are unsure, and a small number (8 percent) say pertussis is different from whooping cough.

Most people don't know that the Tdap vaccine protects against whooping cough

Although the Tdap vaccine can be given to people ages 7 and older, only half or fewer of Americans know what diseases Tdap protects against. When survey respondents were presented with a list of diseases and asked which diseases the Tdap vaccine protects against, a third of respondents (35%) said they were unsure.

Only 43% of respondents chose pertussis or whooping cough, 48% chose diphtheria and 53% chose tetanus, all correct. The vast majority of respondents rightly rejected several wrong choices - 13% said Tdap protected against polio, 8% said pneumococcal diseases such as pneumonia or meningitis, 1% chose Zika and 1% chose dengue. Overall, nearly 3 in 10 people (28%) are aware of all three diseases that the Tdap vaccine protects against and have not chosen the wrong options.

Many people are unaware of most of the symptoms of whooping cough

Many people in the US population are unfamiliar with the symptoms of whooping cough. When respondents are presented with a list of symptoms and asked which symptoms are due to whooping cough, the only commonly recognized symptom (77%) is coughing fits. However, the number of people who know this has decreased significantly from 83% in 2024. These coughing fits are often followed by a characteristic “wheezing” sound as someone gasps for air.

This decrease was accompanied by a significant increase in respondents who said they were unsure of symptoms (21% compared to 14% in 2024). Mild fever was correctly selected as a symptom by 44%; vomiting after coughing attacks by 29%; and runny nose by 27%. Less than a third of respondents selected symptoms unrelated to whooping cough: 31% incorrectly selected headache and 30% incorrectly selected chills.

Less than half of respondents (44%) believe that a healthy adult suffering from whooping cough would likely experience moderate (34%) or severe (10%) symptoms. This is a significant decrease from 2024, when (49%) expected a healthy adult suffering from the disease would experience moderate (34%) or severe (15%) symptoms. In the current survey, 23% thought the adult would experience mild symptoms and 33% were unsure.

ASAPH survey by APPC

The survey data comes from the 26th wave of a nationally representative panel of 1,637 U.S. adults conducted by SSRS, an independent market research firm, for the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Most have been surveyed since April 2021. This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge (ASAPH) survey was conducted November 17 through December. 1, 2025. The margin of sampling error (MOE) is ± 3.5 percentage points at a confidence level of 95%. All numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%. Combined subcategories may not add to the top line and text totals due to rounding.

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