Cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are on the rise. In 2010, several states reported an increase in cases and/or localized outbreaks of pertussis. Pertussis is a highly infectious and usually mild illness that is easily transmitted through coughing and sneezing and may last for several months. In DuPage County, there was an increase in the number of pertussis cases reported in late fall, with the majority of cases occurring in children and adolescents.


Over 445 cases of pertussis were reported in Illinois by the beginning of the school year, with 65 percent of those reported since May 2010. Of the cases reported since May 2010, 45 percent have occurred among school-aged children; over 30 percent have occurred in children under five years of age. Most children are immunized against pertussis disease by receiving a series of vaccine doses known as DTaP (Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis). However, immunity wanes as they reach adolescence. Since 2005, there has been an adolescent/adult pertussis booster vaccine (Tdap) that can be used for prevention and control of pertussis. Tdap vaccine is recommended to be routinely given at ages 11-12 years.


A letter posted by the DuPage County Health Department(in both English and Spanish) is linked below. More information is available from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

See Below for Letter

DuPage County Health Department Letter