US EditionExperts Urge Vaccination During Pregnancy to Prevent Infant Whooping Cough Deaths
Experts urge vaccination during pregnancy as pertussis cases exceed pre-pandemic levels and most infants under 2 months require hospitalization, CDC advises.
- On Oct. 3, a report in the journal Pediatrics found pertussis cases exceed pre-pandemic levels, and experts warn it can be life-threatening for young infants and babies under 2 months.
- The CDC recommends universal vaccination with the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy, optimally between 27-36 weeks of gestation, as the primary tool to prevent pertussis-related deaths.
- In infants the characteristic whoop may be absent while apnea is common, and very high white blood cell count should prompt pediatricians to consider pertussis.
- Clinicians recommend rapid initiation of antibiotics for all patients with confirmed or suspected pertussis, noting early treatment may improve symptoms while later therapy reduces transmission.
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is a nonprofit and the only independent, research-driven children's hospital in Illinois and one of less than 35 nationally, conducting research through Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute.
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InsideNoVA.com
Whooping Cough Cases on the Rise: Newborns Most at Risk, Experts Say
SATURDAY, Oct. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — When someone has whooping cough, the sound can be unmistakable: A deep, gasping “whoop” as they struggle to catch their breath between fits of coughing.
Experts urge vaccination during pregnancy to prevent infant whooping cough deaths
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is on the rise and incidence now exceeds pre-pandemic numbers. While in adults and older children the cough can be bothersome and last for months, pertussis in young infants can be life-threatening.
Whooping cough can be fatal in young infants, experts warn
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is on the rise and incidence now exceeds pre-pandemic numbers. While in adults and older children the cough can be bothersome and last for months, pertussis in young infants can be life-threatening. Most children under 2 months of age with pertussis in the United States are hospitalized.
Whooping Cough Can Be Fatal in Young Infants, Experts Warn
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is on the rise and incidence now exceeds pre-pandemic numbers. While in adults and older children the cough can be bothersome and last for months, pertussis in young infants can be life-threatening.
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