(WWJ) Is your child vaccinated against pertussis?
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is calling attention to an increase in cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, and urging families to get their young children up-to-date with vaccinations.
Case numbers across the state surpassed last year’s reports, according to the health department, and are coinciding with a return to pre-pandemic patterns of more cases per year nationally.
Between 2017 and 2019, Michigan averaged 596 cases of pertussis each year. There have already been 830 confirmed or probable cases reported to MDHHS this year, as of Oct. 28.
What's going on? According to health officials, the problem is some Michiganders are failing to get their children immunized, whether it be because of misinformation about vaccines, or some other reason.
“Vaccinations continue to be our top line of defense against the spread of pertussis,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive, in a news release. “With a declining rate of immunizations, we are unfortunately seeing a rise in pertussis and other vaccine preventable diseases statewide. We encourage all Michiganders to stay up to date with their immunization schedule.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends pertussis vaccine for infants, children, adolescents and people who are pregnant. CDC also recommends a dose of pertussis vaccine for adults who haven’t received a dose as an adolescent or adult.
Here's what to know about whooping cough (from MDHHS):
• Early symptoms of pertussis can look like a common cold.
• It can take five to 10 days or longer for symptoms to appear after exposure
• Babies and young kids may not cough, but they may have pauses in their breathing (called apnea), which can make their skin look bluish or cause shortness of breath. Later symptoms can include uncontrolled coughing fits.
• Pertussis is common in the United States.
• The acute infectious disease can cause serious illness in people of all ages, is more likely to be severe and possibly deadly for infants.
• The median age of pertussis cases in 2024 is 13 years and 75% of these cases have been in people under the age of 18.
Michigan is continuing to see declining childhood immunization rates, meaning more infants and children are at risk for severe pertussis illnesses, MDHHA said.
In Michigan, 82.9% of children have received their first dose of Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTaP) vaccine by the time they are three months old. However, only 65.6% of 19-month-olds received all four recommended doses for DTaP.
For more information on pertussis, visit the CDC’s website and follow the CDC for information on pertussis cases and outbreaks or Whooping Cough (Pertussis) in Michigan.