Two Kentucky infants died of pertussis in the past six months marking the state’s first pertussis-related deaths since 2018, according to state health officials.
The infants were unvaccinated, and their mothers had not received the pertussis vaccination recommended during pregnancy, officials said.
“Anyone can get whooping cough, but infants are at greatest risk for life-threatening illness,” Kentucky Department of Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack, M.D., M.B.A., FACEP, said in a press release. “Fortunately, when vaccinations are administered to pregnant women, it provides protection to both the mother and the baby.”
The deaths come amid 12,513 cases nationwide from January through May compared to 7,321 during the same time last year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.
In March, the Louisiana Office of the Surgeon General confirmed that two infants died of pertussis in the past six months. A child under age 5 years in Spokane County, Wash., died of pertussis in November 2024, according to local health officials. Provisional CDC data show 10 deaths from pertussis were reported nationwide in 2024.
Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection that causes strong coughing, though symptoms vary by age, vaccination status and health status. It often is known as whooping cough due to the high-pitched sound children make when they take deep, fast breaths between coughs.
About one-third of infants with pertussis are hospitalized, and the disease puts them at risk of developing pneumonia, seizures and other complications.
Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine is recommended at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months, with boosters at 15-18 months and 4-6 years. A tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) booster is recommended at 11-12 years.
About 92.3% of kindergartners had received five DTaP doses in the 2023-’24 school year, according to a CDC report. That year, a record high 3.3% of kindergartners had an exemption from at least one required vaccine.
Adults in close contact with infants also are recommended to get a vaccine booster, and pregnant people should get vaccinated during the third trimester.
Resources
- Information on pertussis for clinicians from the AAP Red Book
- Information for parents from HealthyChildren.org on pertussis and DTaP vaccines
