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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffSome people think of whooping cough as having gone the way of polio — a childhood disease eradicated thanks to a vaccination campaign. But whooping cough hasn't been wiped out. In fact, the number of reported cases in the United States has been increasing since a historic low of approximately 1,000 cases in 1976. In 2004, more than 25,000 cases were reported, the largest number since the 1950s, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Whooping cough is thought to be on the rise for two reasons. The whooping cough vaccine you receive as a child eventually wears off, leaving most teenagers and adults susceptible to the infection during an outbreak — and there continue to be regular outbreaks. In addition, children aren't fully immune to whooping cough until they've received at least three shots, leaving those 6 months and younger at greatest risk of getting the infection.
