United States: Seasonal illnesses, like whooping cough and walking pneumonia, are mainly on the rise, which is mainly affecting younger children. The CDC hereby reports that cases of whooping cough (also called pertussis) have kind of increased dramatically, with 22,240 cases this year compared to just 4,809 in 2023.
Dr. Buddy Creech, a doctor at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, says these outbreaks are mostly happening just because of several reasons, and it’s really very important to be extra careful about the health of young kids during this particular period of time.
Dr. Buddy Creech, a pediatric infectious diseases professor at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, attributes the outbreaks to the following:
A drop in vaccine rates
For example, developers have recently formulated the better a new pertussis, or whooping cough, vaccine that may prevent symptoms but not the spread.
More time together, more germs, post Covid time
To this, he includes that whooping cough and walking pneumonia are far worst in infants and young children, and in persons with other complicating illnesses in adulthood.
“But if they have fever and cough, but that’s a much severe cough, that fever is much higher, then that is good time when to be checked out…” added Dr. Creech.
Since symptoms are quite similar for different infections, the doctors are usually forced to treat patients using trial and error methods.
According to Creech, a parent could call his or her child’s doctor and, should the child be unwell, be prescribed amoxicillin. If you find that’s not working, then the probability of your child developing whooping cough or walking pneumonia increases and you should consult a pediatrician.
He further states that the best way to stay sure of not getting infected with the diseases that present the highest risks is either to ensure your child is vaccinated or if you are a prospective mother, you get vaccinated.
“This is why any woman now pregnant – my daughter right now is pregnant we are going to have our first granddaughter soon – any woman now pregnant needs to discuss with her OB the time when she should go to get her pertussis booster [or vaccine],” he said.
Get more information about whooping cough distinguishable from walking pneumonia.