The U.K. has seen a steep climb in whopping cough cases over the past 20 years. From 2005 to 2011, there were 6,216 cases in the county. From 2012 to 2018, there were nearly 26,000.
Also known as pertussis, whopping cough is highly contagious and has symptoms like the common cold in the beginning. However, after about two weeks, thick mucus accumulates inside the airways, causing a prolonged, hacking cough that ends with a high-pitched “whoop” as the person takes in air.
Whooping cough is typically thought to be a children’s disease, but adults can have it without knowing it. It causes 160,000 deaths around the world per year, half of which are children.
The reason for the case increase? The current vaccine is less effective, and fewer people are getting vaccinated. It is also on the rise in the U.S. for the same reasons.