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When a cough can kill: pertussis (vaccine preventable!)
I've seen increasing pertussis #- like a 2702% rise in Brazil (about 6000 versus 200 cases) 2023-24 in Brazil, with 27 deaths, mostly in babies. There is likely more case finding-testing in people with care access
Worldwide issues: Spain, the UK, the Philippines, Netherlands, Croatia, Serbia, Denmark multiple US and Canadian regions have major increases (many in the realm of 5-10X increases) - still 90% lower than the prevaccination era but that uptick is going UP.
https://shorturl.at/EIqf3
Vaccination protection drops over time and a "nuisance" bad cough illness in youths and adults can spread pertussis in the community to vulnerable babies who get initial vaccines at 2 months and to vulnerable adults: vaccine in late pregnancy can pass protection to newborns
It's nasty at any age, but for babies: about 1/2 are hospitalized, they can get pneumonia, encephalopathy with seizures, possible brain damage, and up to 2 % die. The bacteria is in airways, starts like a cold, antibiotics don't help (may reduce spread)
Pertussis can be cyclical, therer may be some post pandemic flare after lower circulation, BUT many countries have seen lower vaccination coverage over the past 5 years (often more around 70% fully immunized rather than >80%).
Misinformation spillover.
https://shorturl.at/JS9tl
Pertussis vaccine (combo pertussis/diptheria/tetanus) is >80% effective - under vaccinated 3X more likely infected. https://shorturl.at/De28r.
Immunization in pregnancy lowers risk for babies-but sadly antivax messaging in pregnancy makes things complex
https://shorturl.at/h7GxN
TLDR:
Pertussis is awful, and can be severe, vaccination rates dropping all over contributes to MASSIVE surges, we have good vaccines to help
but
the overall antivax resurgence plus underresourcing of public health means some who wouldn't have died will die.