More than 3,500 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, have been reported in Texas so far this year, according to state figures, roughly four times the number as last year and the highest since 2013.
This is the second consecutive year that Texas is experiencing high year-over-year increases in reported pertussis cases. With about seven weeks left in the year, those numbers are likely to grow.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that’s particularly dangerous for the youngest infants. Babies under 6 months old are most at risk because they’re too young to be fully vaccinated. About one-third of babies younger than 12 months old with pertussis need treatment in a hospital.
Cases in Texas and across the country were lower than usual during and immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic but have quickly rebounded in the last few years.
Texas reported just 340 cases in 2023. Last year, that increased to 1,907 cases with more than half of them occurring in November and December, according to provisional data. This is the second consecutive year the state’s health agency said it has had to issue a health alert.
Preliminary data from the Texas state health agency indicate that approximately 85 percent of pertussis cases in Texas this year have occurred among children, but no deaths have been reported.
The sharp rise in cases comes amid declining vaccination rates for the disease in Texas and nationwide. Infectious disease experts say immunization is the best way to prevent catching it and control the spread.
About 92 percent of kindergarteners across the country were vaccinated against whooping cough in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to about 95 percent before the pandemic, according to federal figures.
Vaccination doesn’t guarantee a person won’t get infected, but they likely will have milder symptoms, according to the Texas alert.
The recommended pertussis vaccine for infants and children is called DTaP, a combination vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention right now recommends five DTaP shots for children to ensure maximum protection. The first three shots are given when kids are 2, 4, and 6 months old. The fourth shot is given between 15 and 18 months of age, and a fifth shot is given before a child enters school, between ages 4 and 6.