Arkansas health officials are reporting the state’s largest rise in whooping cough cases in roughly 20 years, mirroring a nationwide spike that has already led to the deaths of three infants in Kentucky.
The state recorded 486 cases of whooping cough this year, a significant increase from just 38 in 2023. Healthcare providers say the surge is raising concerns about severe illness, particularly among infants and those with weakened immune systems.
Doctors report that not only are infections more frequent, but cases are more severe and resulting in more hospitalizations. Physicians say declining childhood vaccination rates are one contributing factor. The National Institutes of Health has also found evidence that Bordetella pertussis, the bacteria that causes the disease, is evolving in ways that reduce vaccine effectiveness…