No, whooping cough isn’t just a cold. Cases are surging, and infants face the greatest danger.
It’s highly infectious and definitely not a welcome holiday guest.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is on the rise with outbreaks across the country, leaving some parents of infants wondering whether they should travel or visit family at all.
Pertussis is a bacterial respiratory infection characterized by the “whoop” sound made by sharp intakes of breath between coughing fits. Infected adults and kids can develop a brutal, weekslong cough. Sick infants are at risk of dying.
Vaccination offers strong protection against disease, but immunity wanes over time and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show fewer children are getting the vaccine. The CDC recommends adults get a Tdap booster shot every 10 years.
Related Knowledge Center: Fact-checking and its detractors
Fact-checking has become a familiar tool for political reporters to hold office-holders and candidates accountable. But critics ask if fact-checkers sometimes miss the forest for the trees, and if the practice often struggles with false equivalency the way conventional political coverage does.