Oregón registra el mayor número de casos de tos ferina desde 1950; mantente al día con tus vacunas. Oregon records highest pertussis case count since 1950; stay up to date on vaccination As Oregon closes out 2024 with a record-breaking number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases, health officials remind everyone that vaccination is the best way to prevent pertussis and, particularly, severe illness among babies. Oregon reported 1,105 cases of pertussis in 2024—the highest single-year case count since 1950, when Oregon reported 1,420 cases. Since 2003, eight Oregonians with pertussis have died. Five were younger than 4 months old, and there have been three deaths in adults – one in 2023 and two in 2024. Most adults were vaccinated against pertussis as children and get a booster during their teen years, but those who are unvaccinated or too young to be vaccinated (such as infants) are at the highest risk from infection, with babies most likely to be hospitalized with pertussis. If you do not know when or if you were last vaccinated against pertussis, we recommend all people over age 10 receive a dose of Tdap. Because infants cannot be vaccinated against pertussis until they are two months old, pregnant people are recommended to get the Tdap vaccine at 27–36 weeks’ gestation. Mothers will make antibodies and pass them to their babies across the placenta, protecting them from the moment of birth. This is recommended during each pregnancy. Additionally, when pertussis strikes a household in which an infant or pregnant person lives, OHA recommends all members of the household receive a course of antibiotics effective against Bordetella pertussis—typically, a five-day course of azithromycin. #OregonHealthAuthority #oregonhealthnews