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An infection with the potential for severe illness in young children is on the rise in Michigan.
Health officials have identified at least 830 cases of pertussis so far this year, surpassing last year’s total and blowing past the annual average of 596 cases from 2017-19.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is urging residents to get vaccinated against the disease, which is commonly known as whooping cough.
Pertussis can look like a common cold in the early days after infection. Babies and young children may not cough at first and instead have pauses in their breathing that can make their skin look bluish and cause shortness of breath. Within days that can develop into uncontrolled coughing fits.
It can take five to 10 days for symptoms to appear after exposure, health officials said. That paired with the similarity of symptoms to other viral infections can sometime delay detection.
The median age for infections this year in Michigan is 13, according to data as of Oct. 28. About 75% of the state’s cases have been in people younger than 18.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan‘s chief medical executive, said vaccinations continue to be the top line of defense against the spread of pertussis. The DTaP shot, which included protection against pertussis, is recommended in four doses — 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 15 months old.
About 83% of Michigan children receive their first dose of DTaP vaccine by the time they’re 3 months old, according to the latest state data. However, only 65.5% of 19-month-olds received all four recommended doses.
“With a declining rate of immunizations, we are unfortunately seeing a rise in pertussis and other vaccine preventable diseases statewide,” Bagdasarian said. “We encourage all Michiganders to stay up to date with their immunization schedule.”
Nationally, there have been more than five times as many cases of pertussis reported, as of late October, than the same period in 2023. This year’s count is also higher than the same period in 2019, before the COVID pandemic.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the DTaP vaccine for adults who didn‘t receive a dose as an adolescent or adult.