The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says the there has been a jump in the number of people suffering from pertussis in 2024. DHHS says there have been 35 cases reported this year compared to 13 in 2023.
The Lancaster County Health Department says they have had ten cases this year compared to seven in 2023 and 13 in 2022. With a recently confirmed case of pertussis in a student near Kearney, DHHS officials are emphasizing the importance of taking preventative measures to protect young people and communities from pertussis, also known as Whooping cough.
Pertussis is a contagious respiratory disease that is spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing. It can be serious and sometimes deadly for babies and young children, especially those who have not had all of their recommended pertussis vaccines.
Early symptoms may appear like a common cold, including runny or stuffy noses, low-grade fevers and mild coughs. Later symptoms include coughing fits, which can persist from one to 10 weeks and may cause the high-pitched “whoop” sound characteristic of the disease. .
DHHS says the best way to prevent pertussis is with vaccination. The CDC recommends pertussis vaccination for everyone. While infants are not eligible for pertussis vaccination until they are two months old, the CDC recommends that all pregnant women receive a pertussis vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of each pregnancy to help protect babies from serious illness until they are old enough to get vaccinated on their own.
For more details on Pertussis, click here
(Photo: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)