The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is encouraging residents to get vaccinated as cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, are on the rise in the community.
Thus far, there have been 26 cases of whooping cough reported in Champaign County this year, primarily among high school and college students.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nation-wide there are six times as many cases of the disease this year as there were at this time in 2023.
Dawn Carson, Communicable Disease Investigator for the CUPHD, said young children are especially vulnerable to the disease.
“We see much higher rates of hospitalization and even occasionally death in infants under one year of age, and so by vaccinating yourself, you’re helping to protect the more vulnerable people in our community,” she said.
Carson added the rise is not unprecedented, but she said it is still a cause for concern, as the number of cases could be underreported in the community.
Pertussis starts out appearing like a cold but can quickly progress to severe coughing. The disease spreads quickly, primarily through coughing and sneezing.
Officials say staying up to date with vaccines and the booster vaccine, TDap, is the best way to prevent the spread of whooping cough.