Preventable But Rising: Whooping Cough Deaths Renew Urgency Around Vaccines

Whooping cough is surging across West Virginia as vaccine misinformation and new exemption policies chip away at one of the state’s most effective tools to prevent it.

Since January 1, 2025, the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (BPH) has identified at least 126 pertussis cases, the largest increase in 15 years.¹ Cases span the state, with the highest concentration in the western region and a median age of 12 years; nearly 1 in 5 cases are infants, and roughly one in four patients has required hospitalization.¹

“In West Virginia, we have not seen this number of cases of whooping cough in at least 15 years,” said Steven Eshenaur, DO, MBA, health officer for the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.² Kanawha County officials and the BPH have issued health alerts urging clinicians to test aggressively and begin treatment without waiting for results in high-risk patients.¹

State leaders describe the trend as “a significant rise in whooping cough throughout the state,” with about 22 percent of patients hospitalized.² At the same time, the governor has instructed the health department to allow religious exemptions for the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine required for school, a move now being challenged by the state school board in court.³ The timing has alarmed many clinicians who see the disease as both preventable and potentially deadly, especially for infants.

While West Virginia has not reported pertussis deaths in 2025 to date, nearby Kentucky has recorded 3 infant deaths from whooping cough in the last 12 months, all in unvaccinated babies whose mothers were also unvaccinated.⁴ “We are deeply saddened to learn of another infant death in Kentucky due to pertussis and are concerned by the volume of cases we are seeing throughout the commonwealth,” said Steven Stack, MD, MBA, Kentucky’s health secretary, who again urged families to get the whooping cough vaccine.⁴

Nationally, pertussis is on the upswing. In the first 3 months of 2025 alone, the US recorded about 6,600 cases, roughly 4 times last year’s tally for the same period. Experts link the rise to falling vaccination rates among children and waning booster coverage in teens and adults.² CDC provisional data from 2024 documented at least 10 pertussis deaths nationwide, most in infants younger than 1 year.⁵

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by Bordetella pertussis. Early symptoms mimic a common cold, but patients can progress to weeks of paroxysmal coughing fits, posttussive vomiting, and the classic inspiratory “whoop.” Infants may present only with apnea and can deteriorate rapidly.¹

Both West Virginia and national health officials continue to stress that vaccination is the best defense. The DTaP series beginning at 2 months of age and Tdap boosters for adolescents, adults, and pregnant people significantly reduce the risk of severe disease. “Vaccination remains the best way to prevent whooping cough,” West Virginia health officials remind residents.²

For infection preventionists and frontline clinicians, the current surge is a warning. As vaccine denial grows louder online and in some political arenas, pertussis is exploiting immunity gaps in real time. The experience of Kentucky’s unvaccinated infants underscores the stakes. When communities turn away from vaccines, it is the youngest patients who pay the highest price.

References

1. West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. West Virginia Health Advisory Number WV231 – Rising Pertussis Cases. Published November 6, 2025. Accessed November 26, 2025. WVOEPS
2. Plona K. West Virginia health officials see rise in whooping cough cases. WCHS. Published November 7, 2025. Accessed November 26, 2025. https://wchstv.com/news/local/west-virginia-health-officials-see-rise-in-whooping-cough-cases
3. Aaron B. Health officials urge vaccination amid rise in whooping cough cases. WCHS. Published November 14, 2025. Accessed November 26, 2025. https://wchstv.com/news/local/health-department-reports-highest-volume-of-whooping-cough-cases-in-15-years
4. Lantern Staff. Third unvaccinated Kentucky baby dies of whooping cough. News From The States. Published November 25, 2025. Accessed November 26, 2025. https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/third-unvaccinated-kentucky-baby-dies-whooping-cough?
5. 2024 Provisional Pertussis Surveillance Report. CDC. Published 2025. Accessed November 26, 2025. CDC
6. Whooping cough surges nationwide as vaccinations fall. Vaccine Advisor. Published November 25, 2025. Accessed November 26, 2025. https://www.vaccineadvisor.com/news/whooping-cough-surges-nationwide-as-vaccinations-fall/?