Whooping cough cases rise dramatically nationally and across Delaware Valley, CDC says

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A new report by the Centers for Disease Control shows the number of confirmed whooping cough cases across the country is five times higher than this time last year.

That statistic is even higher in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

"We are definitely in a year with a lot of whooping cough, and we need to take the right protective steps," said Lora Werner, interim director of the Delaware County Health Department.

Werner says she has seen the increase and its impact.

"Infants who have it, about half of them when they are diagnosed and they're under 1 year of age will end up in the hospital," she explained.

So far this year, Delaware County had 182 confirmed cases of whooping cough. This time last year, there was only one case in the county.

"We've been sending alerts to the medical community through the medical society," said Werner.

The CDC recently released new data showing that the number of whooping cough cases in the U.S. rose from 3,260 at this time in 2023 to 17,579 so far this year. That's a five-fold increase.

The increase is even greater locally. The 6abc data team found Pennsylvania has 10 times as many cases of whooping cough compared to this time last year.

The number of confirmed cases in New Jersey is 2.6 times higher and Delaware has seen 17 times as many.

Many now are asking, why the rise? Experts say the social distancing and isolation of COVID helped quell the highly contagious respiratory disease.

Now that life is back to normal, case numbers are returning to pre-pandemic levels.

It elevates the push for children and adults to get whooping cough vaccinations, which often fall under the T-DAP vaccines for kids.

"There's a series of four (shots) that young children will get. We encourage pregnant women to get it every pregnancy," said Werner.

Adults are also advised to get whooping cough booster shots every 10 years. Officials are focused on educating the community as whooping cough makes a comeback.

"Washing our hands and staying home when we're sick-- all those things really do work," said Werner.