New figures released by the CDC show that whooping cough cases have increased significantly in the United States since 2023. The rise in cases has been attributed to a reduction in rates of vaccination, which started during the pandemic.
Whooping cough, also referred to as pertussis, is an infection that affects the respiratory tract. This illness is especially dangerous for infants and is highly contagious. An infectious diseases expert, Dr. William Schaffner, explains that these debilitating cough seizures are normally caused by irritation in the mucus membranes, which makes it hard for an individual to breathe. Babies may not cough, and instead, intermittently stop breathing or find it very hard to breathe. This makes their cases more severe, because their small airways are easily blocked.
He argues that during the pandemic, children didn’t see their healthcare providers, which made it hard to vaccinate them. Additionally, he noted, not everyone had caught up with their routine vaccinations.
The vaccines in question, Tdap and DTap, offer effective protection from the illness and complications that may arise as a result. They also protect against tetanus and diphtheria. Prior studies have raised concerns about the temporary effectiveness of these vaccines, with some highlighting the need for new ones.
The CDC revealed that reported cases of whooping cough had risen to 14,569 thus far into the year, a huge surge from the cases recorded in 2023. This new figure aligns with prepandemic levels, when more than 10,000 cases were recorded annually. States with the highest number of cases are Pennsylvania, New York and California. Pennsylvania has recorded more than 2,000 cases this year, nearly twice the number of cases in California.
The illness isn’t easy to diagnose until it becomes severe, mainly because early pertussis symptoms may be confused for respiratory diseases such as the common cold. Professor Dawn Nolt notes that this diagnostic challenge also helps the disease spread.
To differentiate between pertussis and other respiratory diseases, individuals should watch out for fitful and prolonged coughs that last at least three weeks and may persist for months on end.
The DTap vaccine is recommended for kids under the age of seven, with the CDC also recommending that older children and adults receive the vaccine as well as a booster every decade. It should be noted that since babies cannot receive the vaccine until they hit the two-month mark, pregnant women are advised to get vaccinated in the third trimester of the pregnancy to protect their newborns.
The surge in many infectious diseases adds more urgency to the need for biomedical companies such as Scinai Immunotherapeutics Ltd. (NASDAQ: SCNI) to come up with immunotherapies that can roll back the toll that these diseases can have on vulnerable populations, such as babies and infants.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Scinai Immunotherapeutics Ltd. (NASDAQ: SCNI) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SCNI
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