whooping Cough Cases triple in Buenos aires Province, Raising Health Alert
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Following statistics released by the provincial Ministry of Health, which launched an epidemiological alert due to the number of patients in 2025 tripling that of last year, Health Region XI, centered in La Plata, has emerged as the area with the most confirmed cases of whooping cough (pertussis).
While the Epidemiological Bulletin doesn’t detail the location of each patient, health sources confirm one victim was from La Plata, and the fatal outcome occurred in July at a healthcare center in Buenos Aires City (CABA).
The minor from La Plata died a few days after admission, initially at the Gutiérrez Hospital in La Plata before being transferred to the Cordero Hospital in San Fernando.
The situation is especially concerning due to the deaths of four children between two months and two years old. Three of these children were unvaccinated,and one was a newborn whose mother hadn’t received the necessary vaccination during pregnancy. Sources confirmed the vaccination schedule was incomplete in this case, and immediate “blocking and vaccination actions” were implemented.
The latest provincial Epidemiological Bulletin reports 772 suspected cases of whooping cough this year, with 63 confirmed and 252 classified as probable.This represents more then triple the cases registered in all of 2024.
Health Region VI,in the southern Conurbano area,shows an even more pronounced increase,rising from a single case in 2024 to 86 in 2025.
Alert in the Province and the Country
Given the sustained increase in cases, the Buenos Aires Ministry of Health has declared a health alert, urging reinforced epidemiological surveillance and vaccination campaigns. Nationally, as of week 41 of the year, 333 cases of pertussis have been confirmed out of 3,441 suspicions, with the Bordetella pertussis bacteria predominating in over 84% of isolates.
The most affected provinces are Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Salta, mendoza, Santa Fe, and Tierra del Fuego, were the country’s four deaths occurred. The Buenos Aires alert coincides with a worrying regional trend: the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued a warning on June 10 regarding a resurgence of cases in the Americas, following a decade of decline, with outbreaks reported in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru.
Vaccination at Critical Levels
The provincial report indicates that vaccination coverage against whooping cough remains below target levels in all regions, for both children’s doses and those for pregnant women.
In 2024, coverage of the first four doses of the pentavalent vaccine ranged from 61.9% to 75.4%, while vaccination in pregnant women reached 64.5%. The 2025 goal was to reach 75% of the target population, but September data shows even lower levels, particularly in the Metropolitan Area.
The ministry of Health emphasizes that vaccination during pregnancy, from week 20 of gestation, is essential to protect newborns who cannot receive their first dose until they are two months old.