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Oregon Sets Record for Whooping Cough Cases in 2025

Health leaders warn that waning immunity plus lower pregnancy Tdap uptake is leaving newborns vulnerable.

Overview

  • Oregon Health Authority reports 1,475 pertussis cases this year, surpassing the 1950 record of 1,420.
  • Case counts accelerated after beginning in spring 2024, with other U.S. states reporting similar increases.
  • Oregon has logged 87 cases in infants under 12 months in 2025, including 22 hospitalizations and one death.
  • State data show pregnancy Tdap coverage at 69% in 2024, down from 72% in 2020, with county rates ranging from 17% to 82% and the lowest levels largely in rural areas.
  • Officials urge Tdap during weeks 27–36 of each pregnancy and up-to-date shots for those around babies, citing waning immunity, post-pandemic social mixing, and frequent underdiagnosis due to atypical symptoms.