ORLANDO, Fla. — This holiday season, parents of young children will need to be more careful because whooping cough cases are rising to pre-pandemic levels.

The Florida Department of Health has released its Pertussis Surveillance report, which found that there were five times as many cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, in 2024 compared to the year before.

For context, there were more pertussis cases in October of this year alone, than all of 2023.

What You Need To Know

  • Florida Department of Health says that pertussis, or whooping cough, cases have significantly increased this year in the Sunshine State, compared to the previous five years

  • According to FDOH, pertussis is characterized by “spasms of severe coughing” that can last six to 10 weeks

  • An pediatric infectious disease expert says the increase in cases is “dramatic” because of its danger to infants that are more susceptible to severe forms of the illness

  • As of October 2024, a total of 512 pertussis cases were reported, compared to a total of 85 cases for all of 2023

The total count of whooping cough cases in October was 97, compared to a grand total of 85 cases in all of 2023.

Mirna Halabi has been Leo’s caretaker since he was just 4 months old.

He’ll be 2 years old in April, which, according to the Florida Department of Health’s Pertussis Surveillance report, makes him more susceptible to a severe form of the illness, if he were to contract whooping cough.

“I choose to take the vaccine because I know the dangers that it can present to my little ones,” Halabi said.

This year’s report revealed that the average incidence rate for pertussis between the months of May and October was highest among 1-year-olds.

“It’s intensified my feelings about it, and protecting my children even more,” Halabi said.

Pertussis cases have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, and pediatric infectious disease expert Michael Muszynski is calling this increase dramatic.

“That’ll mean more babies admitted to hospital with very serious pertussis condition and often life-threatening," said Muszynski, professor emeritus at Florida State University’s College of Medicine. "And it's totally preventable with the vaccine."

In addition to vaccine hesitancy being one of the leading causes for the increase in cases, Muszynski said people aren’t up to date with their pertussis vaccines, which maintains its efficacy against the bacterial infection.

He said most of the time, infants contract whooping cough from adults.

“Adults are what we call the main vectors — the main contact for those little tiny babies to get pertussis," Muszynski said. "And the most common adult, believe it or not, isn’t the parents, it’s the grandparents."

According to the Florida Department of Health, over half of the cases reported in 2024 involved people who were not up-to-date with their pertussis vaccines.