As the United States grapples with rising measles cases and outbreaks in several states, another vaccine-preventable disease is quietly spreading throughout the country.
This year, there have been at least 7,599 cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, up from 3,473 cases at this time last year, according to the latest tally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a record number of parents seeking vaccine exemptions for their children and childhood vaccination rates declining, more outbreaks of measles, pertussis, and other diseases are not just likely, they’re inevitable.
“When vaccination rates fall, the first disease you’re going to see show up is measles because it’s so contagious,