Hawaii health officials are asking visitors to ensure they are vaccinated against whooping cough as cases reach an all-time high in the state.
Earlier this week, the state’s Department of Health reported 108 cases of the Victorian-era disease — dubbed the 100-day cough — a stark increase from last year’s 84 total cases.
According to data from the CDC, about 10,000 cases of the coughing malady and nearly a dozen deaths have already been reported across the country this year.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis and mainly affects infants.
The illness leads to violent coughing fits, fever, sore eyes and blue lips. In severe cases, it can also lead to vomiting, exhaustion and breathing issues and is fatal in about one percent of babies who catch the infection.
Given the sudden increase in cases, Dr Sarah Kemble, Hawaii State Health Department epidemiologist released a statement asking all adults – particularly those with infants – to be vaccinated.
She said: ‘Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease that spreads through the air via the coughs or sneezes of an infected person
‘It’s particularly important for families that are expecting a baby, so pregnant women, but also grandparents who are going to be holding the baby, dads who are going to be holding the baby.
Hawaii health officials are asking visitors to ensure they are vaccinated against whooping cough as cases reach an all-time high in the state
‘So everyone in the household who may be spending a lot of time around a newborn infant, we recommend that they also get their booster for pertussis.’
The illness is initially difficult to tell apart from a cold, with the first signs typically being a runny nose and sore throat.
But within a week, sufferers may develop coughing bouts which last minutes, struggle to breathe after coughing and make a ‘whoop’ sound between coughs.
Officials said health complications can also lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage and even death.
The CDC recommends the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination for children, teenagers as well as adults.
The agency recommends babies get the DTaP (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine at two, four, six, and between 15 and 18 months old.
Children ages four to six are also recommended to receive a booster shot of the vaccine.
The CDC also states that preteens between the ages 11 to 12 should also receive a shot of Tdap to boost their immunity against pertussis.
The shot is recommended every 10 years after that to adults including pregnant women.
As of 2023, about 87 percent of toddlers in Hawaii had received their DTaP vaccine shot as compared to a national average of 92.7 percent.
The TDAP vaccine is 98 percent effective in children within a year of their last dose. In teenagers, the vaccine is 73 percent effective in the first year and 34 percent effective four years after vaccination.
But fewer are getting it.
Dr Sarah Kemble, Hawaii State Health Department epidemiologist released a statement asking all adults – particularly those with infants – to be vaccinated. (Stock image)
Polly Deehy (pictured left) from the UK had to be placed in a 10-day coma after coming down with whooping cough, and at just one month old, Rosie Robin, also from the UK (pictured right) was hospitalized for two weeks with the disease
Health officials warned whooping cough is initially difficult to tell apart from a cold, as the first signs are a runny nose and sore throat, but they eventually worsen
For the 2019-2020 school year, 95 percent of kindergarteners received the Tdap vaccine across the US. This dropped to 93 percent for the 2023-2024 school year.
As of 2024, over 35,000 cases across all age groups were reported in the US out of which about 10 people died, according to the CDC.
In 2023, officials in Hawaii reported only three cases of whooping cough and no deaths.
Experts believe that the sudden jump in cases in the tourist hotspot is due to increased vaccine hesitancy and decreased immunity in adults as well as older children.
Researchers also warn even tiny dips in vaccine uptake allow the ultra-infectious virus to spread.
Officials are also concerned that the confirmation of Health Secretary nominee Robert F Kennedy Jr may worsen whooping cough vaccination rates as the 71-year-old has expressed doubts about the efficacy of vaccines.
Prior to the introduction of the pertussis vaccine in 1948, the US saw as many as 250,000 cases per year, but they have steadily dropped by more than 90 percent each year compared to the pre-vaccine era, the CDC states.
The CDC has also noted that the bacteria that causes whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis, is prone to mutations, which could make it able to evade vaccines.
The illness is initially difficult to tell apart from a cold, with the first signs typically being a runny nose and sore throat
Officials have been warning for months that the US is on track to see a staggering rise in pertussis cases.
Dr Marcos Mestre, chief clinical operations officer at Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami told CBS: ‘We have been seeing some increase in pertussis cases that are coming through our emergency departments.
‘Not necessarily requiring admission, but coming in for evaluation and treatment.
‘They’re coughing to the point that they can’t catch their breath. And those are the children we really worry about, when infants are getting infected and that could cause more severe illness.’
