Public Health On Call

993 - What to Know About Whooping Cough

2026-01-07

About this episode: Pertussis—more commonly known as "whooping cough—is on the rise, with more than 25,000 cases and a number of child deaths recorded in the U.S. in 2025. In this episode: Dr. Erica Prochaska talks about the symptoms of pertussis, how it spreads, when to seek out medical care, how to prevent infection, and the role of vaccines. Guests: Dr. Erica Prochaska, MHS, is a pediatric infectious disease doctor at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Sch...

About this episode:

Pertussis—more commonly known as "whooping cough—is on the rise, with more than 25,000 cases and a number of child deaths recorded in the U.S. in 2025. In this episode: Dr. Erica Prochaska talks about the symptoms of pertussis, how it spreads, when to seek out medical care, how to prevent infection, and the role of vaccines.

Guests:

Dr. Erica Prochaska, MHS, is a pediatric infectious disease doctor at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

Epidemiological Update: Pertussis (Whooping Cough) in the Americas Region—Pan American Health Organization
Global whooping cough resurgence after COVID lull may point to need for better vaccines—CIDRAP
More than 25,000 whooping cough cases reported this year as Kentucky records 3rd infant death—ABC News
An Update On Measles, Pertussis, Mpox, and Other Vaccine-Preventable Diseases—Public Health On Call (November 2024)

Transcript information:

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