Delaware health officials are monitoring an increase in whooping cough cases, particularly among adolescents and infants, highlighting the importance of vaccination during pregnancy to protect vulnerable newborns.
Delaware health officials are urging parents, schools and pregnant women to stay alert for whooping cough after the state recorded 13 cases so far this year, a figure that is higher than the 11 reported in all of 2025 but well below the 45 cases seen in 2024, according to Delaware Public Media and state Surgeon General Neal Hockstein. Officials say the situation does not amount to an outbreak, but they are monitoring reports of possible spread in schools.
The warning matters most for families with newborns, because babies cannot begin their own pertussis vaccinations until they are 2 months old. In that gap, the strongest early shield comes from Tdap given during pregnancy, which helps a mother pass protective antibodies to her baby before birth, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says. The agency recommends the shot in every pregnancy, ideally between 27 and 36 weeks’ gestation.
Delaware’s health department first flagged the trend in an advisory issued on August 12, saying the rise in cases began on June 11 and involved mostly adolescents and infants. The notice urged clinicians to test people with a prolonged cough for pertussis regardless of vaccination status, to use PCR testing on nasal swabs and to begin antibiotics quickly when the disease is suspected. It also recommended preventive treatment for close contacts, especially infants and women in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, often starts out looking like a common cold, with a runny nose, low fever and a mild cough before developing into severe coughing spells that can last for weeks. The CDC says infants younger than 1 year face the highest reported rate of disease and the greatest risk of serious complications, including death. In very young babies, the illness may cause pauses in breathing rather than the familiar “whoop” heard in older children and adults.
Health officials say vaccination remains the best defence. Delaware’s advisory noted that some of the recent cases occurred in vaccinated people, which is consistent with waning protection over time, but the CDC says Tdap in pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of whooping cough in babies too young to be fully immunised. Families expecting a child are also being encouraged to check that partners, grandparents and other regular caregivers are current on Tdap, reducing the chance that the bacteria reaches the newborn.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
