Latest news with #pertussis
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Whooping cough outbreaks declared in Iqaluit, Pond Inlet
There's an outbreak of whooping cough in Iqaluit and Pond Inlet, Nunavut, according to the territory's chief public health officer. The Department of Health announced the outbreaks in a pair of news releases Saturday. It said anyone can get the respiratory disease — also known as pertussis — but that the most severe cases are in children under the age of one. Though it spreads easily from person to person, the department says it's preventable by getting vaccinated. Symptoms of whooping cough include a low fever, a cough that lasts longer than a week or is followed by an unusual "whoop" sound, vomiting after coughing and coughing that is worse at night. Anyone with these symptoms is told to stay home, avoid contact with others, and to contact their local health centre. The department says whooping cough can spread from the time someone catches it — before they start coughing — until three weeks after their symptoms have started, or until they've been taking treatment for five days. The department says whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics. They're urging people to get vaccinated against the disease, but also to curb the spread with frequent hand washing, coughing into tissues or sleeves, and not sharing food, drinks, utensils or toothbrushes. Outbreaks of whooping cough that began in Kugaruuk and Naujaat in the spring were declared over last month.
New York Times
06-06-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Whooping Cough Is Surging. Do You Need Another Shot?
After a brief lull during the pandemic, whooping cough has bounced back, raising alarm among public health officials. There have been more than 10,000 whooping cough cases in the United States so far this year, an unusually high number even by prepandemic standards, said Dr. Kathryn Edwards, a vaccine expert at Vanderbilt University who has studied whooping cough, also called pertussis, for decades. A branch of the World Health Organization recently called on countries with high levels of spread, including the U.S., to bolster surveillance of the illness and increase vaccination efforts. Dr. Edwards said the surge was most likely a combination of falling childhood vaccination rates and a lack of exposure to the disease during the pandemic. That exposure 'reminds' the immune system how to recognize and defend against the bacteria. While less deadly than other vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles and polio, whooping cough — sometimes called the 100-day cough — is not a mild illness. The respiratory illness is known for causing bouts of coughing so intense that they can lead to vomiting or even broken ribs. About a third of babies who get whooping cough need treatment at a hospital. Last year, 10 people died from the infection, and most of them were younger than a year old. 'These cough seizures can be so profound that you can lose consciousness and fall,' said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Medscape
29-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Recommendation May Increase Prenatal Partners' Vaccinations
MINNEAPOLIS — The partners of pregnant patients may be more likely to get vaccinated against pertussis, COVID-19, and influenza if prenatal providers recommend it to them, according to a study presented at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 2025 Annual Meeting. 'Many prenatal care providers are not routinely talking about vaccinations for the support people of their pregnant patients,' presenter Laurie Griffin, MD, PhD, fellow at Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, told attendees. It's really simple to talk to partners when they are sitting in your office, Griffin said. Otherwise, it's a missed opportunity. Meshell Stokes, MD, Ob/Gyn at Fond du Lac Regional Clinic in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, who attended the presentation, agreed, finding the results unsurprising but important. 'This study just augmented the practice that I do of really emphasizing partner immunizations,' Stokes told Medscape Medical News . An estimated 66% of respiratory infections in babies come from an immediate family member, Griffin said, so using cocooning — vaccinating other family members against diseases — can be an effective strategy to reduce the risk of these infections in newborns. ACOG, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all recommend maternal vaccination to provide passive immunity via placental transfer. All three organizations also recommend that all neonatal caregivers be vaccinated against pertussis, COVID-19, and flu at least 2 weeks before delivery as a strategy to protect infants. Yet partners of pregnant patients may not realize they need the vaccines without a recommendation from a healthcare provider. Griffin, therefore, conducted two anonymous electronic surveys, one of providers and one of patients' partners, to find out how commonly these recommendations are made in regular clinical practice. The first survey was sent to 200 obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, prenatal family medicine providers, prenatal nurse practitioners, and certified nurse midwives in Rhode Island, and it had a 52% response rate. 'What we found is that people are really good at talking about vaccination for pregnant patients,' Griffin said. 'They are really bad at doing it for non-birthing partners.' Among the respondents, 90% said they always recommend these vaccinations to their pregnant patients, while only a little over 30% said they always recommend them to the patients' partners. Instead, 44% of respondents reported that they 'never,' 'sometimes,' or only 'about half of the time' recommend vaccinations to the partners. The number-one reason that providers did not counsel non-birthing partners to get the vaccines 'was they never thought about doing it,' Griffin said. The second survey, in English or Spanish, queried 525 non-birthing partners during their partners' postpartum hospitalization and had a 63% response rate (n = 380). The respondents were an average age of 33 years, and 95.8% were men. They were racially diverse: 13% Black, 10.9% Asian, 13% multiracial, and 77% White, and nearly a quarter (23.9%) were Hispanic/Latino. Nearly half (47.9%) had a college education, and most (84.8%) were employed. Most (77.6%) also had their own primary care provider, and 88.2% attended at least one prenatal visit with their partner. Among these non-birthing partners, 69.4% had gotten the Tdap vaccine, 80.6% received at least one complete series of COVID-19 vaccination, and 43.9% had gotten the flu vaccine. These numbers were generally higher than the approximately 35%-40% of Americans who get these vaccines. However, the survey results suggested they could be even higher. The most common reason partners gave for not getting the Tdap was that they didn't know it was needed, cited by 46.6% of respondents. Partners seemed more aware of the recommendation for other vaccines. Only 3.7% of those who didn't get the COVID vaccine and 10.5% of those who didn't get the flu vaccine said they didn't know it was needed. Another top reason was feeling they did not need the vaccine because they were healthy, cited by 12.3% of those who didn't get the Tdap, 25.9% who didn't get the COVID-19 vaccine, and 31.9% who didn't get the flu vaccine. Two other top reasons for skipping the COVID-19 vaccine were being opposed to it (27.2%) and being concerned about side effects (27.2%). Fewer respondents were opposed to the Tdap (4.1%) or flu vaccine (12.4%), and fewer were concerned about side effects for Tdap (6.9%) or the flu vaccine (10%). Less frequently reported reasons — all reported by fewer than 6% of respondents for each vaccine — included not liking needles, not having a provider, not having the time or transportation, or the vaccine costing too much. Over half the partners (60.8%) said they were counseled to get vaccinated by their partner's prenatal provider, but the other 39.2% were not. The researchers calculated that prenatal counseling on vaccination increased the likelihood that partners got vaccinated anywhere from 17% to 80%, depending on whether it was the Tdap (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.28), flu (PR, 1.8), or COVID (PR, 1.17) vaccine. When asked how likely they would be to accept a vaccine that a prenatal provider recommended to protect their newborn, over half the partners (57.2%) said they would be likely to accept it and 15.5% said maybe. About 1 in 5 (23.4%) said they would not. These numbers suggest 'an opportunity to really discuss with people the importance of [vaccination] to protect their child,' Griffin said. A substantial majority of partners (88.5%) said they would get a vaccine if it were offered there in the office right then. Though the respondents were representative of the Rhode Island population, Griffin noted the findings may not be generalizable to all areas. In addition, while the anonymous design of the survey reduced the likelihood of social desirability bias, answers still may have been subject to recall bias, and it's not possible to say whether the provider recommendations definitely led to partners' getting vaccinated. No external funding was noted for the study. Griffin and Stokes had no disclosures.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Top honeymoon destination is hit by highly contagious disease as 108 cases are reported
A top honeymoon destination is seeing a major outbreak of a highly contagious disease. Hawaii health officials announced last week that pertussis - perhaps better known as whooping cough - is on the rise in the popular tourist hotspot at a 'worrying rate,' according to Spectrum Local News. As of May 15, the state had already recorded 108 cases this year - surpassing last year's total cases of 84, the State of Hawaii Department of Health reported. It called whooping cough a 'highly contagious respiratory disease' that spreads from bacteria through the air. At first, the symptoms can resemble a cold - but they can quickly progress to 'intense coughing fits.' In children, those fits could be followed by a 'deep breath' that makes a 'whooping sound' due to clogged airways that are not fully formed, Fox News reports. Complications from the disease 'can be serious and even life-threatening, especially for infants and young children who are not fully vaccinated,' health officials warned. Those complications can include pneumonia, seizures, apnea, encephalopathy (a disease of the brain) - and even possibly death. 'Pertussis is insidious and can be easily mistaken for other respiratory diseases - including viruses,' Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel warned. He explained that whooping cough - which is a bacterial infection - can be treated with routine antibiotics but it is 'easily missed.' 'The best protection is vaccination, including repeated boosters in teens and adults,' Siegel suggested. The DTaP (diptheria, tetanus and pertussis) vaccine is administered to children under the age of seven, while the Tdap (tetanus, diptheria and pertussis) vaccine is available for older children and adults. Neha Pathak, WebMD chief physician editor, told Fox News that about 98 out of 100 children who get the DTaP vaccine are protected from the diseases for at least one year after a fifth dose and about 70 percent are still protected up to five years later. She also said she suggests pregnant woman get the Tdap jab during their third trimester to pass antibodies onto their newborns who are too young to get the DTaP vaccine. Dr. Siegel further claimed that DTaP is 'highly effective' in children with nearly 100 percent protection with appropriate dosages. Still, multiple doses are also generally recommended for infants, children and adults. But in Hawaii, health officials say vaccination rates 'for all routinely-recommended vaccinations for school entry - including those for measles, pertussis, polio and varicella (chicken pox)' have declined since 2019. Its vaccination levels are now even below the national average, according to Hawaii News Now. 'The uptick in pertussis cases is concerning, but not surprising given what we are seeing with vaccine hesitancy,' Pathak said. In fact, the rise in pertussis cases in Hawaii comes as experts warn America is poised for a measles explosion if vaccine rates continue to fall at their current pace. The research from Stanford University estimates that just a five percent decline in coverage with the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) would lead to an estimated 5.7 million measles cases and at least 2,500 deaths over the next 25 years. That's the equivalent of 228,000 cases and 320 deaths each year. And in a devastating scenario, a 50 percent decline in vaccinations could flood the country with the life-threatening disease, potentially leading to 51 million cases, including 10.3 million hospitalizations and between 151,200 and 164,700 deaths. For context, the US has confirmed 5,567 measles cases over the past 25 years, averaging 223 per year. In 2019 alone, there were nearly 1,300 cases; in 2020, just 13. If rates stay where they are, the US could lose its measles elimination status within two decades. The US is facing its largest measles outbreak in 30 years, centered in Gaines and Lubbock counties, West Texas, where just 74 percent and 92 percent of children are vaccinated, respectively. Texas has confirmed 728 measles cases so far, with over 400 in Gaines County alone. Two children in Texas and one in New Mexico have died. New Mexico has reported 71 cases. Hawaii also confirmed two cases in April, but health officials since concluded there was no further spread. Still, health officials in the Aloha State warn they are not out of the woods on that yet, either. 'Measles cases in the United States continue to rise, with more than 1,000 cases already reported across 30 states this year,' they said in the news release last week. 'The risk remains high for future travel-related measles cases reaching Hawaii and DOH recommends continued vigilance efforts to increase the MMR vaccination rate.' It then stressed its 'strong' recommendation for children and adults to stay up-to-date on all vaccinations.
Fox News
27-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
American honeymoon hotspot hit by highly contagious illness, health officials warn
While cases of measles continue to spread throughout the U.S., Hawaii is reporting a new type of infectious spread. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is on the rise at a "worrying rate" in the Aloha State, the State of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) confirmed last week in a news release. As of May 15, there have been 108 cases of pertussis reported, already exceeding the 84 total cases in 2024. The DOH labeled pertussis a "highly contagious respiratory disease" that spreads through the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. Symptoms often resemble a cold but can progress to "intense coughing fits." For children, these coughing fits can be followed by a "deep breath" that makes a "whooping" sound. "Health complications can be serious and even life-threatening, especially for infants and young children who are not fully vaccinated," the DOH warned. Complications can include pneumonia, seizures, apnea, encephalopathy (a disease of the brain) and death. The most effective way to prevent pertussis is through vaccination, according to the DOH. The DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) vaccine is administered to children under 7 years old and the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine is for older children and adults. Multiple doses are generally recommended for infants, children and adults. "High vaccination rates protect individuals and communities and prevent cases from becoming outbreaks," the agency noted. "However, vaccination rates for all routinely recommended vaccinations for school entry – including those for measles, pertussis, polio and varicella (chickenpox) – have declined nationally and in Hawaii since 2019." Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel confirmed that Hawaii is below the national average in terms of childhood vaccines, noting that the DTaP vaccine is "highly effective" in children, with close to 100% protection with appropriate dosages. "Pertussis is insidious, and can be easily mistaken for other respiratory diseases, including viruses," Siegel told Fox News Digital. "Pertussis, which is a bacteria, can be treated with antibiotics like doxycycline but is easily missed. The best protection is vaccination, including repeated boosters in teens and adults." Siegel explained that the "characteristic whoop" sound among children is caused by clogged airways that are not yet well-developed. About one-third of babies under 1 year who contract whooping cough are at risk of hospitalization, according to the doctor. "The best protection is for everyone around them to be vaccinated," he said. "Pertussis outbreaks are now connected to a drop-off in early childhood vaccination." "Pertussis outbreaks are now connected to a drop-off in early childhood vaccination." Neha Pathak, MD, WebMD chief physician editor, echoed that pertussis is "still a significant public health threat," especially for infants and people with weakened immune systems. "The DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccine offers strong protection to children — about 98 out of 100 children are protected for at least a year after the fifth dose, and about 70% are still protected for up to five years," she said in an interview with Fox News Digital. While vaccines like measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) can provide lifelong protection, pertussis immunity decreases over time, which means boosters are necessary for adolescents and adults, Pathak noted. "The uptick in pertussis cases is concerning, but not surprising given what we are seeing with vaccine hesitancy," she commented. "Pregnant women should also get the Tdap vaccine during their third trimester to pass antibodies to their newborns, protecting them before they can be vaccinated," the doctor suggested. Hawaii confirmed two cases of measles in early April and concluded there was no further community spread. Despite the current situation being under control, the health department warned that measles exposure is still a threat among travelers. For more Health articles, visit "Measles cases in the United States continue to rise, with more than 1,000 cases already reported across 30 states this year," the department noted. "The risk remains high for future travel-related measles cases reaching Hawaii, and DOH recommends continued vigilance and efforts to increase the MMR vaccination rate." The DOH stressed its "strong" recommendation for children and adults to stay up to date with recommended vaccinations for disease prevention.
