tetanus vaccination in childhood :: Article CreatorWhooping Cough On The Rise Again: What Parents Need To Know In 2025
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The Brief
Preliminary CDC data shows 8,485 whooping cough cases reported in 2025—twice as many as this time last year.
Experts link the rise to declining childhood vaccination rates and growing anti-vaccine sentiment.
Whooping cough is especially dangerous for infants and young children but preventable with routine immunizations.
LOS ANGELES - Whooping cough, once largely contained through routine childhood immunizations, is resurging across the United States. Preliminary 2025 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 8,485 cases reported so far—twice the number reported at this point last year.
Experts say the rise was expected to some extent. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, tends to peak every few years. It saw a sharp drop during the COVID-19 pandemic due to masking and social distancing. But the latest spike also coincides with declining vaccine uptake—and that's what has health professionals most concerned.
Why cases are climbing now
The backstory
The CDC says the illness spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It starts like a common cold, but symptoms intensify as the cough develops a distinct "whoop" sound. Though it can be treated with antibiotics, it can be deadly—especially for infants too young to be vaccinated.
In the past six months, two babies in Louisiana and a 5-year-old in Washington state died after contracting the illness.
Dr. Ericka Hayes, an infectious disease expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said low vaccination rates are playing a major role. "When you fall below 95% for vaccinations, you lose that herd immunity protection," she said.
Vaccine coverage gaps leave kids at risk
Why you should care
The standard vaccine for pertussis—given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age—also protects against diphtheria and tetanus. But health officials are seeing major gaps in coverage. CDC guidance also recommends booster shots for adults every 10 years and for pregnant people to help protect newborns.
28 August 2019, Lower Saxony, Hanover: A pediatrician vaccinates a child with a 6-way combination vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus (tetanus), polio, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and hepatitis B. Photo: Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
((Photo by Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images))
"The uptake of the vaccine for pregnant mothers is not where we need to be at all," Hayes said about vaccine uptake during pregnancy.
In Pennsylvania, which reported 207 cases so far in 2025, the hardest-hit areas include Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, especially among older children and college students. State officials report that 94.6% of kindergarteners are vaccinated, but local outbreaks suggest uneven compliance.
Regional hotspots raise national concerns
Local perspective
Michigan has reported 516 cases so far this year. That's on pace to match last year's statewide total of 2,081 cases. Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian said local vaccination rates vary widely, and some schools have immunization coverage as low as 30%.
"These pock Bagdasarian added that public health departments are already stretched thin as they juggle multiple outbreaks, including measles.
Whooping cough isn't just a childhood illness—it's a warning sign. Health experts warn that the rise in preventable diseases like pertussis reflects growing mistrust in vaccines. That shift in public health attitudes has ripple effects on community safety, hospital capacity, and the protection of vulnerable populations.
While symptoms in teens and adults may be milder, infants and young children are still at high risk. The best protection, doctors emphasize, is vaccination—for kids, pregnant parents, and adults.
The Source
This article is based on reporting by the Associated Press, including statements from CDC officials and interviews with pediatric health experts and state public health departments.
Govt Striving For Complete Vaccination Of Children
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is working to ensure that children across the country receive complete vaccination to protect them from several diseases.
"The Indonesian government remains committed to promoting the complete immunization of children nationwide," Murti Utami, acting director general of disease mitigation at the Ministry of Health, said in Jakarta on Saturday.
She explained that complete immunization refers to the administration of multiple vaccines throughout a child's developmental stages, from birth till they reach elementary school.
Utami then provided a detailed breakdown, saying that infants between zero and 11 months need to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, and rubella.
Once children turn 18 to 24 months, their parents should ensure they receive additional vaccines for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, and rubella, she added.
For first-grade children, additional vaccines for measles, rubella, diphtheria, and tetanus are necessary, she said.
In the second and fifth grades, children should be given additional vaccines for tetanus and diphtheria, followed by the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the two following grades, she added.
Utami emphasized the importance of the comprehensive vaccination schedule, pointing out that immunization has proved effective in significantly reducing the number of cases of these diseases.
Moreover, she highlighted that immunization can prevent up to five million deaths annually from diseases.
Given these benefits, Utami urged citizens to ensure their children get vaccinated during the 2025 World Immunization Week, which is taking place throughout the final week of this month.
She said that the government has been working closely with partners to raise public awareness about the importance of immunization and expand the coverage of immunization programs.
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Translator: Sinta A, Tegar Nurfitra PutraEditor: Azis KurmalaCopyright © ANTARA 2025
DOH: 31,000 Filipino Children, Women, Seniors Receive Vaccines
A man receives a dose of the Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at a vaccination site at South Bronx Educational Campus, in the Bronx New York on January 10, 2021.
AFP / Kena Betancur
MANILA, Philippines — Thousands of children, women and senior citizens in Calbayog, Samar are set to receive various vaccines as part of the Department of Health's (DOH) efforts during World Immunization Week, which runs from April 24 to 30.
The DOH said around 31,000 Filipinos were expected to be vaccinated on the first day of the campaign alone.
Among them are infants and toddlers aged 0 to 12 months, who will receive five key vaccines that protect against multiple diseases:
Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) – for tuberculosis Pentavalent vaccine – for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, meningitis, and hepatitis B Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) – for pneumonia Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) – for polio Each vaccine follows a specific schedule. BCG is typically given at birth, while the pentavalent, PCV and OPV vaccines are administered in three doses over four months starting at six weeks of age. MMR is first given when the child reaches nine months, with a second dose at one year.
According to the DOH, unvaccinated children in the Philippines dropped to 163,000 in 2023 from over 1 million during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa tied the earlier surge in "zero-dose" children to school closures.
Around 64% of 2.4 million children aged zero to 12 months have already been immunized as of February, the DOH added.
1 in 10 Filipino children unvaccinated
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), completing the full vaccination schedule is "the safest and most effective way" to ensure children's long-term health. Delays in vaccination can increase their risk of contracting serious illnesses.
Catch-up vaccinations are also provided for children who missed their scheduled doses. In the Philippines, the government offers free routine immunization at public health centers and facilities.
UNICEF data highlights a relatively high child mortality rate in the country, with 26 out of every 1,000 live births not expected to reach their fifth birthday.
The data also reveals that one in 10 children grows up without any vaccinations, with the situation being particularly severe in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where up to six in 10 children are unvaccinated.
"Yet, persistent inequities remain a significant challenge — many unvaccinated children live in underserved communities," World Health Organization (WHO) Philippine Representative Rui Paulo de Jesus said.
UNICEF attributes much of the ongoing child mortality to vaccine-preventable infections and parasitic diseases.
Senior citizens, pregnant women
Aside from children, senior citizens will be offered flu and pneumococcal vaccines, while young women aged nine to 14 will receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which helps protect against cervical and anal cancers.
Pregnant women are also expected to receive the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine, administered in two doses before delivery. This helps the mother develop antibodies against the viruses, offering early protection for the infant.
The DOH has been allocated a budget of P7.9 billion for vaccine procurement in 2025, with additional funds designated for healthcare worker allowances and awareness campaigns.
Vaccination is also a key component of the government's 8-point action agenda, which aims to ensure that all Filipinos are healthy, safe, prepared for emergencies, protected from illness, mentally healthy and shielded from pandemics.
"Towards Universal Health Care, we continue to engage local leaders, parents, health workers, and partners to build a strong and resilient immunization system, where the promise of improved vaccination coverage rates is realized, and more lives across life stages are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases," Herbosa said.
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