Whooping cough cases on the rise in Knox County, nationwide

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — Pertussis or whooping cough cases in Knox County are currently more than five times the amount of what is seen in a typical year, according to the health department. The increase is also a nationwide trend.

The Knox County Health Department stated in a news release Thursday that nearly all of the current whooping cough cases are affecting children who are not vaccinated, and that the best way to prevent the infection is to get the vaccination.

“Infants are most at risk for severe disease, which is why it’s so important that the rest of us do everything we can to protect them,” Dr. Megan Edwards, KCHD Public Health Officer, said. “Although pertussis infections can be treated with antibiotics, the most effective treatment is prevention. Our best tool is for families and infants to receive a vaccine that has been safely administered for decades.”

KCHD also clarified that whooping cough is a respiratory disease characterized by severe coughing, which often lasts longer than two weeks and may have a distinctive “whooping” sound. Many children will often vomit after coughing. Rarely, young infants may stop breathing. It is passed from person to person much like the flu, primarily through close personal contact.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children who are not vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis) are eight times more likely to become infected than those who are vaccinated.

Those with questions or concerns should contact their medical provider or child’s pediatrician, KCHD said, and vaccines are also available at the Knox health department by appointment: call 865-215-5555 .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.