LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Health experts are warning of the risks of whooping cough in Arkansas as cases soar across the country.
According to the CDC, whooping cough cases in the U.S. have reached their highest level in more than a decade.
Whooping cough is at a decade-high level in US
By mid-December, more than 32,000 cases had been reported, which is about six times more than last year at the same time.
In Arkansas, the Department of Health reports 352 cases have been reported.
Dr. Naveen Patil, the Deputy State Health Officer, told FOX 16 News that transitioning to normal life outside of the pandemic is, at least in part, to blame for the new surge in whooping cough cases, as many continue to drift away from the regular masking and social distancing that once protected us from a variety of viruses.
“Now we are back to routine normal life, which you have to come back to, so again that’s leading to more and more infections,” Patil said. “The other thing is people did not get vaccinated they are not getting their boosters. That’s causing a surge in cases, too.”