Massachusetts doctor speaks out about surge in whooping cough cases

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Massachusetts doctor speaks out about surge in whooping cough cases

Updated: August 19, 2024, 6:10 PM EDT

5:30. The number of whooping cough cases this year is three times higher than it was this time last year. This is according to the CDC. So what does this mean for your family? Here are some thoughts. Dr. Ali Raja, Associate Director of Emergency Medicine at MGH. Dr. Raja, nice to see you. You too. Ben. Okay. I don't know anything about whooping cough, but I'm a little surprised that the numbers are so high. Especially considering it's summertime. Are you surprised by these numbers? Actually I'm not Ben. The fact is you're right. We're at about 10,000 confirmed cases so far this year versus 3,000 last year. But I have to say that the number of cases last year was actually still lower because of the pandemic. Social distancing, isolation, mask wearing. So now that those barriers are gone, we're starting to see numbers similar to what we saw last winter when RSV was around. That's what I would have predicted if the pandemic hadn't happened. It makes sense. You know, parents are dealing with this infection for the first time. What do parents need to know? I mean, should they wait to go see a doctor? When is a good time to have them see you or a colleague at the emergency room? Jessica, that's such a great point, because of the fact that there's a low number of cases and the disease usually strikes children around 6 months to 6 years of age. Some parents have never raised a child with whooping cough before. First, the most important thing is that there's been a very effective vaccine for whooping cough since the 1940s and 1950s. Most people vaccinate their kids and everyone should. If you have any reservations about vaccines in general, talk to your pediatrician and get educated about them. But generally, most cases of whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics by your pediatrician. But if your child is really having trouble breathing or starts turning blue, take them to the emergency room and get the vaccine. That's whooping cough. Yes. That's the name of the vaccine. So if you get this vaccine as a child, does that mean you won't get whooping cough, or will it just be less severe? Generally, it will be less severe. You know, if you compare the data from before the vaccine, that is, in the '20s and '30s, to now, the cases of whooping cough or whooping cough have gone down by about 90%. And the severity has gone down a lot. So, overall, it's a very effective vaccine. But like all vaccines before, it's not perfect. So you can still get the disease. It's just that it will be less severe than it would be otherwise. Okay. Dr. Ali Razi

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that pertussis cases have soared three-fold this year compared to the same period last year. Part of the surge is due to the relaxation of pandemic-related social distancing and mask-wearing measures. According to Dr. Ali Raja, vice chief of emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, about 10,000 cases have been recorded this year, up from 3,000 last year. Dr. Raja explained that the number of cases last year was unusually low due to pandemic precautions. “With those barriers gone, we're seeing numbers closer to pre-pandemic levels,” he said. Dr. Raja says parents who experience whooping cough for the first time need to recognize the symptoms and act quickly. Whooping cough primarily affects children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years old. “Most cases can be treated with antibiotics by a pediatrician,” Dr. Raja said. But he stressed the importance of vaccination. “We have had a very effective vaccine for whooping cough since the 1940s or 1950s. Most people get their children vaccinated, and everyone should,” Raja said. If your child has trouble breathing or starts to turn blue, it's recommended that they go to the emergency room right away, as vaccinated children generally experience milder symptoms if they become infected, Raja said.

Boston —

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that pertussis cases have tripled this year compared with the same period last year.

The surge is due in part to the relaxation of pandemic-related social distancing and mask-wearing measures.

About 10,000 cases have been recorded this year, up from 3,000 last year, said Dr. Ali Raja, vice chief of the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr Raja explained that last year's numbers were unusually low due to pandemic measures: “With those barriers gone, we're now seeing numbers closer to pre-pandemic levels,” he said.

Raja said parents experiencing whooping cough for the first time should recognise the symptoms and act quickly.

Whooping cough primarily affects children between the ages of six months and six years. “Most cases can be treated with antibiotics by a paediatrician,” Dr Raja said.

But he stressed the importance of getting vaccinated.

“There's been a very effective vaccine for whooping cough since the 1940s or 1950s. Most people get their children vaccinated and everyone should do that,” Raja said.

If your child has trouble breathing or starts to turn blue, they recommend going to the emergency room immediately.

Vaccinated children generally experience milder symptoms if they become infected, Raja said.

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