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Whooping cough in Texas increased fourfold over the past year, continuing a trend of dramatically increased cases over the past several years, according to a health alert from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Although pertussis activity in Texas, as in other parts of the United States, declined during and immediately after the COVID pandemic, the illness has come back significantly since 2023, when 340 cases were reported.
The number of reported pertussis cases spiked to 1907 in 2024, prompting a previous state health alert. To date in 2025, preliminary data show that more than 3500 cases of pertussis have been reported in Texas, approximately 85% of which have occurred in children, according to the Department of State Health Services.
Experts have attributed the surge in pertussis cases to various factors including declining vaccination rates and waning immunity over time. In the wake of the increase in cases, the Department of State Health Services continues to recommend pertussis vaccination for everyone, including pregnant women. The CDC outlines specific guidance on pertussis vaccination.
Vaccination does not guarantee protection from infection, so clinicians should not rule out pertussis among individuals with a history of vaccination, according to the health alert. Additional guidance for clinicians includes potential treatment with antibiotics in pertussis cases, even in advance of confirmation of infection, and post-exposure prophylaxis for contacts including close household contacts, infants older than 12 months, contacts with preexisting health conditions that increase their risk, and anyone in contact with high-risk individuals.
