MANITOWOC – Both measles and whooping cough cases have spiked dramatically throughout the U.S. — and Wisconsin has confirmed cases of both of these highly contagious diseases.
As kids head back to school, here are few things parents may want to keep in mind about both diseases.
What to know about whooping cough
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, as of Dec. 20, 2024, the state had 2,365 confirmed cases of whooping cough (or pertussis) for the year. Seventy of 72 counties in Wisconsin reported at least one case in 2024, and half the cases were in kids ages 11-18.
At the end of last year, Wisconsin had the third-highest number of pertussis cases in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.
That’s a dramatic uptick from 2023, when Wisconsin had just 51 cases of whooping cough.
Pertussis is caused by bacteria and easily spreads from person to person through saliva — shared when a person talks, coughs or sneezes, according to the CDC.
Symptoms include runny nose, sneezing, a slight fever and coughing. Symptoms can turn into violent coughing that makes it hard to breathe. After coughing, someone with pertussis may need to take a deep breath, making a “whooping” sound.
The CDC says vaccinations are the best way to avoid pertussis.
Infants receive a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DtaP shot) as part of their vaccination schedule. Older kids and adults can receive boosters, as the vaccination for pertussis can fade over time.
But vaccination rates are low in Wisconsin.
According to a CDC report, the rate of childhood immunizations with the DtaP shot was 85.7% for the 2023-24 school year, the second-lowest among all states.
The CDC has a set target rate for vaccinations rates of at least 95% of kids entering kindergarten. That’s the percentage needed to create herd immunity and keep communities safe, according to officials.
What to know about measles
In 2025, the United States is experiencing one of the worst measles outbreaks in decades. Until recently, Wisconsin had no reported cases.
Nine cases were confirmed in Oconto County in northern Wisconsin Aug. 2. All nine people were exposed to a common source during out-of-state travel, according to the state Department of Health Services.
Officials have not identified the people or their ages, nor shared the name of the state where they contracted the virus. They also didn’t say whether the people were vaccinated against the measles, citing privacy reasons.
The U.S. successfully eliminated measles in 2000, thanks to the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine. But the number of reported cases has steadily climbed as vaccination rates have slumped.
There have been 1,365 cases of measles reported since January, according to the CDC. As of June, three people — two children and an adult — have died from the disease, and 13% of patients with measles required hospitalization.
Nearly all of those with measles this year — 96% — were not vaccinated, and seven out of 10 were kids ages 19 or younger.
Children in Wisconsin have the second-worst vaccination rate for measles in the U.S. In 2023, the latest data available, 82% of 2-year-olds in Wisconsin had at least one dose of the measles vaccine, down from 88.2% in 2013, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Numbers vary, of course, by county. In Manitowoc County, 90% of kids were vaccinated against the measles in 2013. The rates fell every year in the following decade to 85.45%. Vernon County had the lowest rate at 50.45%.
The state health department estimated 84.8% of kindergartners in Wisconsin had both doses of the MMR vaccine in the 2023-24 school year. Only Alaska ranked lower.
Wisconsin has fairly loose vaccine laws, allowing exemptions for medical, religious or personal reasons.
Measles follows a pattern that starts with a high fever for a few days, then a rash that begins near the hairline and spreads down the face and to the rest of the body. Kids also will have a runny nose, cough and watery eyes. Complications from the disease can be serious, including ear infections, pneumonia and inflammation of the brain.
As with persussis, public health officials encourage everyone to make sure their vaccinations are up to date.
Vaccinations for pertussis and measles are available at doctor’s offices and local health departments.
Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com or call 920-606-2575.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Measles and whooping cough are on the rise. What to know as kids head back to school.
Reporting by Patti Zarling, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
