# West Virginia Sees Record High Whooping Cough Cases, Booster Recommended
With whooping cough cases in West Virginia at a record high this year, a physician is urging residents too consider a booster dose of teh Tdap vaccine to protect themselves and vulnerable children.As of this week, the state Bureau for Public Health reports 199 cases of whooping cough, or pertussis – the highest number reported in West Virginia as 2010. Of these,76 cases were active as of December 15th.
Last year, west Virginia reported only 46 cases of the illness.
Gailyn Markham, director of dialogue for the state Office of Shared Administration, indicated several factors may be contributing to this year’s surge, including potential mutations of the bacteria causing pertussis and a natural three- to five-year peak in cases.Nationally, cases in 2024 were six times higher than in 2023, peaking in November and remaining elevated.
“We continue to work closely with local health departments, health care providers, and community partners to identify cases quickly, ensure appropriate treatment, and control measures to help reduce the spread of the disease,” Markham said.
Neighboring Kentucky has also been affected, with reports of three infant deaths linked to the illness this year among unvaccinated individuals.
Dr. Lisa Costello, a pediatrician and associate professor of pediatrics at WVU School of Medicine, stated she’s treating children with whooping cough for the first time in her career due to the increased cases.
“[Whooping cough] was not something that we saw with that much frequency,” she said. “And certainly with the rise in cases, we are unfortunately seeing more cases, particularly in infants.”
She explained infants are at higher risk of severe symptoms. “their airways are small, their immune systems are still developing, and the pertussis or whooping cough can cause really intense coughing fits,” she said. “For infants, sometimes that can even have them stop breathing.”
symptoms of pertussis initially resemble a common cold – runny nose…
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