On Mar. 27, 2025, the Louisiana Office of the Surgeon General reported on Facebook that two infants had died of pertussis (whooping cough) within the last six months. The state’s last infant death due to pertussis was in 2018. Pertussis has been on the rise across the U.S. since 2021.

Pertussis is a highly contagious infection of the breathing passages. Symptoms vary by age, preexisting conditions and vaccination status, but the main sign is strong coughing. Deep, fast breaths taken between those coughs produce a “whooping” sound. Infants younger than 1 year who contract pertussis are at risk of developing pneumonia, seizures and other complications.

Last year saw a sharp spike in whooping cough cases nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2024, 35,435 cases were reported compared with a total of 7,063 in 2023, a five-fold increase – 3,044 and 2,116 pertussis cases were reported by the CDC in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The immunization schedule from the American Academy of Pediatrics calls for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine to be given at 2 months of age. Subsequent doses are given at 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 old.

To prevent adult transmission to babies, people in close contact with infants younger than 1 year should get a booster, and pregnant people should get the vaccine during the third trimester.

An October 2024 report from the CDC showed 92% of kindergartners nationwide in the 2023-’24 school year had gotten their DTaP shots. The average coverage rate for DTaP, polio, varicella and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) shots dipped to 92.5% from 95% in 2019-’20. A record high 3.3% of kindergartners had a vaccine exemption in 2023-’24.

Note: On Feb. 13, 2025, Ralph L. Abraham, MD, the Louisiana Surgeon General announced that the state will no longer promote the use of vaccines to prevent disease. Abraham previously served as the representative for Louisiana’s 5th congressional district from 2015 to 2021 and failed to advance to the runoff for the election of the state’s governor in 2019.