Whooping cough is still circulating across the United States this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed in its July 6, 2026 Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel update. The disease has already claimed two children's lives in 2026, and public health officials say the illness poses its greatest risk to infants who have not yet completed their vaccination series, a group that depends entirely on the immunity of people around them.
Pertussis, caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, is one of the most contagious respiratory diseases tracked by the CDC. What makes it particularly dangerous in a community setting is that adults and vaccinated older children — who are far more likely to be carriers — often present with nothing more than a persistent cough lasting weeks. They rarely suspect pertussis and rarely get tested.
Why This Matters
The disease's cycle of harm runs through a gap in recognition. By the time a baby develops the characteristic, convulsive "whooping" cough of pertussis, that infant may have already been exposed by a parent, grandparent, sibling, or childcare worker who had no idea they were carrying a contagious bacterial infection.
That dynamic makes pertussis one of the more insidious vaccine-preventable diseases: its most dangerous victims — newborns and young infants — cannot yet protect themselves through vaccination, and depend entirely on the immunity of everyone around them.
Two deaths from whooping cough have already been confirmed in the United States in 2026, according to CDC surveillance data through Week 21. Deaths from pertussis are almost exclusively concentrated in infants under 12 months who have not yet completed their primary vaccination series.
What We Know So Far
The CDC's Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel, updated July 6, 2026, confirmed that whooping cough remains active nationally. The same update notes that overall acute respiratory illness is at very low levels, but specifically calls out pertussis as a disease still in circulation — distinguishing it from RSV, COVID-19, and seasonal influenza, all of which are currently at low or declining levels.
Through Week 21 of 2026 (late May), the CDC confirmed approximately 4,724 pertussis cases nationally — a figure that reflects the typical cyclical downturn following 2025's exceptionally elevated year, when more than 28,000 cases were reported nationally. The states reporting the largest case burdens in 2026 include California (nearly 700 cases), Washington (328+), Ohio (281+), Florida (262+), and Oregon (218+), according to CDC surveillance data cited by the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University.
Despite the year-over-year decline from 2025's elevated totals, the disease has not been eliminated from circulation — and the ongoing case counts, combined with confirmed child deaths, make summer 2026 an important period for parental and caregiver vigilance.
Where the Risk Is Highest
CDC pertussis surveillance data consistently show that infants under 12 months — particularly those under six months who have not completed their primary DTaP vaccine series — account for the highest rates of hospitalization and the highest share of deaths.
California, Washington, Ohio, Florida, and Oregon have each reported more than 200 cases in 2026 to date, giving those states the highest documented burden. However, whooping cough is reported in all 50 states, and the CDC has noted that pertussis is chronically underreported because many mild and moderate cases — particularly in adults — are never clinically recognized or tested.
Communities with lower vaccination rates face elevated risk regardless of geography. Kindergarten vaccination coverage for whooping cough fell from 95% nationally in 2019 to 92.3% by the 2023–24 school year, according to CDC data cited in reporting by the International Vaccine Access Center. When coverage approaches the minimum threshold for community protection, sustained transmission becomes mathematically predictable.
What Doctors and Public Health Officials Say
"Pertussis is a disease where recognition is everything," said Dr. Sarah Mbatha, a pediatric infectious disease physician. "By the time a parent notices the cough fitting the classic description, weeks may have passed since the contagious stage — and by then, an infant in the household may already have been exposed."
Dr. Mbatha noted that in adults and vaccinated adolescents, pertussis frequently presents without the hallmark "whoop." Instead, it may appear as a prolonged, irritating cough lasting three to twelve weeks that feels similar to a lingering cold or post-viral cough. "Adults often don't realize they have whooping cough. They feel bad for a few weeks, the cough eventually clears, and they never find out they were potentially infectious around newborns or unvaccinated infants."
The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend that anyone who will be in close contact with a newborn — including parents, grandparents, and childcare providers — be up to date on their Tdap booster before the baby arrives. This strategy, sometimes called "cocooning," builds a ring of immunity around infants too young to be vaccinated.
What the Evidence Shows — and What It Does Not
Pertussis vaccines — DTaP for children and Tdap for adolescents and adults — are highly effective at preventing severe disease and death, but their protection wanes over time. The acellular pertussis vaccines used in the United States since the 1990s provide strong initial protection but typically lose substantial effectiveness within five to ten years after vaccination, which is why booster doses are recommended.
This means that vaccinated individuals are not permanently immune and may carry and transmit pertussis without showing severe symptoms. The vaccine's primary protection against death and serious illness remains robust even as transmission protection wanes — which is why unvaccinated infants face the greatest risk.
MedicalDaily Evidence Check
- Data source: CDC Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (July 6, 2026); CDC Pertussis Surveillance through Week 21, 2026
- Confirmed 2026 cases nationally: ~4,724 (through late May; likely undercount)
- 2026 deaths: 2 confirmed (children)
- Highest-burden states: California, Washington, Ohio, Florida, Oregon
- What is confirmed: Pertussis is actively circulating; two deaths occurred in 2026; case counts are lower than 2025's peak-year totals but remain above pre-2024 baselines
- Important context: 2026 cases are down ~69% from the same period in 2025, reflecting normal post-peak cyclical decline after 2024–2025 surge
- What readers should know: The disease is circulating; infants under 12 months face the greatest risk; vaccination and early diagnosis are the primary protections
Who Faces the Greatest Risk?
Pertussis affects people of all ages, but the risk of life-threatening illness is highly concentrated:
- Infants under 6 months who have not yet completed their primary DTaP series face the highest risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death
- Infants under 12 months overall, including those partially vaccinated
- Pregnant individuals — pertussis during pregnancy can rarely be transmitted to the newborn before birth; Tdap during pregnancy passes protective antibodies to the fetus
- Older adults , especially those who have not received a Tdap booster in the past ten years
- Unvaccinated children and adolescents in communities with declining vaccine coverage
- Immunocompromised individuals , who may have weakened responses to vaccines they have received
Adults and vaccinated older children generally experience milder illness — but they are still capable of transmitting the disease to vulnerable people around them during the early, most contagious phase.
Symptoms and Warning Signs to Watch For
Whooping cough progresses through three stages with very different presentations:
Stage 1 — Catarrhal (1–2 weeks): The most contagious stage. Symptoms resemble a common cold: runny nose, mild cough, and low-grade fever. Most people at this stage do not suspect pertussis, and the disease spreads most efficiently here.
Stage 2 — Paroxysmal (1–6 weeks): The characteristic stage. Severe, uncontrollable coughing fits lasting up to a minute, often ending with a high-pitched "whoop" during inhalation. Fits can be so severe that they cause vomiting, broken blood vessels in the eyes, or rib fractures. In infants, the whoop may not be audible — instead, the baby may turn blue and stop breathing temporarily (apnea).
Stage 3 — Convalescent (weeks to months): Recovery phase. The cough gradually improves but may persist for months, sometimes called the "hundred-day cough."
In adults, the full paroxysmal stage may be absent or mild. Any cough lasting more than two weeks — especially one that comes in fits or is worse at night — is worth discussing with a clinician, who can order pertussis testing.
In infants: any cough, difficulty breathing, feeding problems, or a color change to blue or gray during a coughing episode is a medical emergency. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
What You Can Do Now
- Check your vaccination records. Adults who have not received a Tdap booster in the past ten years should get one, especially if they will be around newborns or infants. Tdap is widely available at pharmacies, physician offices, and public health clinics.
- Pregnant? Get Tdap during every pregnancy. The CDC and ACOG both recommend Tdap between 27 and 36 weeks of each pregnancy to pass protective antibodies to the newborn before birth.
- Keep sick adults away from newborns. Anyone with a prolonged cough should avoid close contact with infants, particularly newborns under two months of age, until they have been evaluated by a clinician.
- Ask your pediatrician if your child is on schedule. DTaP is given at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15–18 months, and 4–6 years. A child who has missed doses is at elevated risk.
- See a doctor for any cough lasting more than two weeks, especially if it comes in fits or is accompanied by a whooping sound after coughing. Ask your doctor whether pertussis testing is appropriate.
- Seek emergency care for any infant with breathing difficulty, cyanosis (blue color), apnea, or severe coughing fits. Do not wait for symptoms to resolve.
Cost and Access: What Patients Should Know
Tdap vaccination is covered at no cost under most health insurance plans, including Medicare Part B (for adults 65+ or those with chronic conditions), Medicaid, and ACA marketplace plans — including free at most major pharmacy chains with insurance.
For uninsured adults, the Vaccines for Adults program provides vaccines at reduced or no cost at participating clinics. Federally qualified health centers also provide Tdap on a sliding-scale fee basis.
For uninsured children, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program provides all recommended childhood vaccines at no cost through participating providers. Any child who is uninsured, underinsured, or Medicaid-eligible qualifies.
Pertussis testing — a PCR-based nasopharyngeal swab — is covered by most insurance plans when ordered by a clinician and is available at most hospital laboratories and many outpatient labs. Positive results are reportable to local health departments in all 50 states.
What Happens Next
The CDC updates its pertussis surveillance data regularly, with the most current case count information available at the CDC Pertussis Surveillance page. Case counts for 2026 will continue to be updated as reporting from states is processed.
Summer is historically a period when pertussis case counts can remain stable or increase modestly, driven by family travel, camp and childcare enrollment, and increased social contact. The CDC expects to release updated national data through midsummer in coming weeks.
MedicalDaily will continue monitoring pertussis case trends and updating coverage as the summer season progresses.
The Bottom Line
Whooping cough is still circulating this summer, the CDC confirmed July 6 — and two children have already died in the U.S. in 2026. The disease's most dangerous feature is not what it does to adults and vaccinated children, who typically experience it as a prolonged cough, but what it does to infants too young to be vaccinated, who depend entirely on the immunity of people around them. Checking vaccination status for everyone in contact with a newborn, getting Tdap during pregnancy, and seeking medical evaluation for any cough that has lasted more than two weeks are the most direct steps families can take.
