EUGENE, Ore. — As we transition from summer into the fall and winter, local doctors expect to see more respiratory illnesses, including pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
While pertussis is highly contagious and extremely dangerous for younger children, it is vaccine preventable. Unfortunately, it has also been quite prevalent in Oregon in recent years.
“We are very worried about pertussis in Oregon. In 2024, we had the highest number of cases of whooping cough that we’ve had since 1950,” says Dr. Pilar Bradshaw of Eugene Pediatric Associates. “Pertussis is right here in this community. It’s quite contagious and it can have very, very severe consequences, especially for kids under age 1.”
Dangers of whooping cough
Approximately 1 in 3 babies under the age of 1 who get whooping cough will be hospitalized…