Pertussis News and Research

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In RFK Jr.’s upside-down world of vaccines, panel votes to end hepatitis B shot at birth

Recent weeks have brought good news about vaccines, with studies indicating that flu vaccination reduces heart disease, shingles vaccines can prevent or slow dementia, and a single human papilloma virus shot protects a girl from cervical cancer for the rest of her life.

5 Dec 2025

Waning immunity and falling vaccination rates fuel pertussis outbreaks

Rates of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are surging in Texas, Florida, California, Oregon, and other states and localities across the country.

20 Nov 2025

Expert panel recommends new antibiotic strategies for resistant Bordetella pertussis

Pertussis, or whooping cough, remains a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. Despite inclusion of pertussis vaccines in immunization programs since the 1970s, outbreaks have re-emerged globally due to waning immunity and bacterial evolution.

19 Nov 2025

Groundbreaking vaccination approach could transform respiratory disease prevention

A research team from Trinity College Dublin has unveiled a groundbreaking new approach to vaccination that could redefine how we protect against respiratory infections.

10 Nov 2025

Louisiana took months to sound alarm after two babies died in whooping cough outbreak

When there's an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, state health officials typically take certain steps to alert residents and issue public updates about the growing threat.

4 Nov 2025

COVID-19 pandemic linked to diminishing public trust in childhood vaccines

An international study led by the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee at Bar-Ilan University reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a diminishing public trust in childhood vaccines, resulting in declining vaccination rates and a resurgence of preventable, life-threatening diseases such as measles.

28 Oct 2025

Doctors muffled as Florida moves to end decades of childhood vaccination mandates

Florida plans to end nearly a half-century of required childhood immunizations against diseases that have killed and maimed millions of children. Many critics of the decision, including doctors, are afraid to speak up against it.

27 Oct 2025

Report maps vaccination's comprehensive benefits for health and economy

A new Gerontological Society of America report, "Concentric Value of Vaccination: Intersecting Health, Economic, and Societal Benefits," provides evidence on the advantages of immunization for individual and population health, economic outcomes, and societal well-being.

22 Oct 2025

Study finds lower vaccine uptake in children from certain socioeconomic and migration backgrounds

In the Netherlands, the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) was established in 1957. This programme provides free and voluntary vaccinations against 13 serious infectious diseases and has drastically reduced child and young adult mortality across the country.

10 Oct 2025

Experts urge vaccination during pregnancy to prevent infant whooping cough deaths

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is on the rise and incidence now exceeds pre-pandemic numbers. While in adults and older children the cough can be bothersome and last for months, pertussis in young infants can be life-threatening.

3 Oct 2025

Sharp rise in pertussis hospitalizations highlights need for timely vaccination

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a vaccine-preventable disease which continues to circulate even in areas where vaccination coverage is high, and outbreaks may still occur. A study published in Eurosurveillance and conducted at Meyer Children's Hospital in Florence, Italy, has found a sharp increase in hospitalisations for pertussis among children and adolescents (patients aged 16 years or under) in 2024.

29 Aug 2025

‘Alternative facts’ aren’t a reason to skip vaccines

President Donald Trump's administrations have been notorious for an array of "alternative facts" — ranging from the relatively minor (the size of inaugural crowds) to threats to U.S. democracy, such as who really won the 2020 election.

14 Aug 2025

Childhood and adolescent immunizations decline in Michigan, study shows

Routine childhood and adolescent immunizations declined in Michigan between 2017 and 2023, particularly among counties with lower household income and higher uninsurance rates, a new study suggests.

11 Aug 2025

Fearing Medicaid coverage loss, some parents rush to vaccinate their kids

For two decades, Washington, D.C., pediatrician Lanre Falusi has counseled parents about vaccine safety, side effects, and timing. But this year, she said, the conversations have changed.

28 Jul 2025

Over 14 million children miss lifesaving vaccines threatening global goals

More than 14 million children missed out on lifesaving vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough last year, putting global goals off track, new UN data shows.

22 Jul 2025

Aluminum vaccines cleared of long-term health risks

Findings from a cohort of 1.2 million children indicate aluminum-adsorbed vaccines do not raise the risk of autism, asthma, or autoimmune diseases.

17 Jul 2025

Routine vaccines may be the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

A study reveals that rising vaccine coverage in children is linked to reduced antibiotic prescriptions, suggesting a shift in the fight against drug resistance.

16 Jul 2025

U.S. could safely end routine adult tetanus and diphtheria shots, review suggests

The United States could safely drop tetanus and diphtheria booster shots for adults and save an estimated $1 billion a year, according to a new review led by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.

15 Jul 2025

WHO and UNICEF urge action to protect children through vaccines

In 2024, 89% of infants globally – about 115 million – received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, and 85% – roughly 109 million – completed all three doses, according to new national immunization coverage data released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.