Q&A: Are COVID-19, vaccine hesitance to blame for pertussis spike in US?

The number of pertussis cases in the United States has quadrupled over the last 12 months, according to the CDC, raising questions as to what is behind the sudden, significant spike.
The CDC reports 17,579 cases of pertussis in 2024 as of Oct. 5, compared with 3,962 reported cases through the same date in 2023 — a nearly fivefold increase year over year — which the agency said is higher than was seen in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to outbreaks in the U.S., pertussis cases have also increased this year in Brazil, Mexico and Peru amid declines in vaccination

The number of pertussis cases in the United States has quadrupled over the last 12 months, according to the CDC, raising questions as to what is behind the sudden, significant spike.
The CDC reports 17,579 cases of pertussis in 2024 as of Oct. 5, compared with 3,962 reported cases through the same date in 2023 — a nearly fivefold increase year over year — which the agency said is higher than was seen in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to outbreaks in the U.S., pertussis cases have also increased this year in Brazil, Mexico and Peru amid declines in vaccination