Cases of whooping cough on the rise in Marin County

(KRON) — Cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, are on the rise in Marin County, according to Marin Health and Human Services. Over 100 cases of the respiratory infection have been investigated in the county so far in 2024, many affecting high school students.

The 113 cases as of March 28, 2024, is a steep increase from 2023, when there were 11 cases investigated all year, according to the health department.

As pertussis vaccines begin to wane among schoolkids, cases begin to rise. “The vaccine is very effective for many years but then it starts to wane in effectiveness over time,” Dr. Sridhar Prasad from Kaiser Permanente San Rafael told KRON4’s Justine Waldman (watch in the video player above). Health officials said that whooping cough cases typically surge every three to five years as a result.

The last surge in Marin County was in 2018 when over 300 cases were identified.

Prasad recommended the vaccination to reduce both the vulnerability and the severity of the infection. “Vaccinated people, their symptoms last for potentially 20-25 days, and unvaccinated, 60 to 100 days,” Prasad said.

Those who are sick are advised to get help to identify whether they have the contagious infection or not to prevent spread. Symptoms of whooping cough typically develop within five to 10 days after exposure to the bacteria that causes it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.