Whooping cough cases are rising, and doctors are bracing for yet another tough year. There have been 8,485 cases reported in 2025, according to the CDC. That's twice as many cases as this time last year, based on the CDC’s final tally. Rates of whooping cough, or pertussis, soared last year, which experts said wasn't unexpected. The number of cases fell during COVID-19 because of masking and social distancing. Plus, experts said, the illness peaks every two to five years.
