Barabasa / Depositphotos.com
Whooping cough, a preventable respiratory illness, is spreading among children in Louisiana, with two reported deaths in the last six months. Manning Family Children’s Hospital Physician in-Chief Dr. Mark Kline says numbers are way up. He says in 2023 the state only saw about a dozen cases and last year there were around 150 cases.
“And already in 2025, we’re seeing a lot of cases. A few hospitalization, and I believe a couple of deaths statewide.”
Nearly 120 cases have been reported so far, and numbers are rising. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated children have been hospitalized. Kline says fully vaccinated children have a better chance of recovery.
“We have a vaccine that is very effective. Its given to infants at two, four and six months of age, and then again to toddlers at about 18 monts of age.”
Despite Louisiana’s Surgeon General Doctor Ralph Abraham halting state vaccine promotion, Kline continues advocating for vaccinations to prevent severe cases in children and adults, especially for pregnant women.
“The reason for that is that when the mother is vaccinated the mother produces antibodies against the organism, and those antibodies can cross the placenta and protect the baby at the time of birth.”
Comments