The cause of the current rise in case numbers has not yet been definitively determined. However, whooping cough typically occurs in waves, usually every four to six years. At the same time, increased vigilance has led to more close contacts being tested, meaning that infections with only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all are being detected and reported more frequently. 

Whooping cough (pertussis) is a bacterial infectious disease of the respiratory tract that is transmitted from person to person through droplet transmission when coughing or sneezing. People with the disease can be contagious even before the first symptoms appear. The risk of transmission is particularly high in the early stages of the disease, when whooping cough often still resembles a common cold. Initial symptoms typically include a runny nose, a mild cough, and general fatigue. As the disease progresses, persistent, spasmodic coughing fits may occur over several weeks, which may be accompanied by shortness of breath, wheezing, or vomiting. In adolescents, adults, and vaccinated individuals, whooping cough often manifests only as a persistent cough. Even vaccinated individuals or those who have had the disease before can become reinfected and spread the pathogen. Vaccine protection wanes over time. However, the vaccine provides reliable protection against severe disease and helps protect people at particularly high risk from infection. 

Newborns and young infants are particularly at risk. In these infants, whooping cough can lead to life-threatening respiratory arrest and severe complications. Since infants cannot be vaccinated until they are at least two months old, it is especially important for the mother to be vaccinated during pregnancy. The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recommends vaccination during every pregnancy starting at the 28th week of gestation so that protective antibodies can be passed on to the child. 

There is also an increased risk of complications among older adults and people with chronic heart, lung, or other underlying conditions. Although older children and adults often experience milder symptoms, they can still transmit the virus to people who are particularly at risk. 

The Public Health Department recommends that all citizens check their own vaccination status and that of their children using their vaccination records and have any missing or overdue vaccinations administered as soon as possible. Parents should especially check and complete their children’s vaccination status before the start of school or daycare. The vaccine provides reliable protection against severe complications, but it cannot completely prevent a mild infection or a slight cough in vaccinated individuals and plays a significant role in protecting high-risk groups. 

STIKO recommends the pertussis vaccination for:

· Infants (three doses at two, four, and eleven months of age). The vaccination series should be started as early as possible and can sometimes be administered as part of early screening examinations.

· Children and adolescents (one booster dose each at ages five to six and between nine and 16).

· Adults: a single dose administered together with the next scheduled tetanus and diphtheria vaccination. This also applies, for example, if a tetanus vaccination is required following an injury.

· Pregnant women during each pregnancy, starting at the 28th week of pregnancy. If there is an increased risk of preterm birth, the vaccination should be administered as early as the second trimester. This recommendation applies regardless of when the last pertussis vaccination was received.

· Close contacts of newborns and infants if the last vaccination was more than ten years ago. The vaccination should be administered, if possible, no later than four weeks before the child’s birth. If this deadline is missed, the vaccination should be administered as soon as possible.

· Healthcare workers and staff at communal facilities should receive a booster shot if they have not been vaccinated against whooping cough within the past ten years. 

Anyone who has had a cough for more than two weeks or who develops spasmodic, uncontrollable coughing fits or vomiting after coughing should seek medical advice. Before visiting the doctor, the doctor’s office should be informed by phone of the suspected case so that protective measures can be taken for other patients. Until the situation is clarified, those affected should avoid contact with newborns, infants, and other particularly vulnerable individuals. Early antibiotic treatment can shorten the duration of contagiousness and help prevent further transmission.

Individuals with suspected or confirmed whooping cough are temporarily prohibited from entering or working in communal facilities such as daycare centers or schools. If whooping cough is suspected, readmission is possible once the condition has been ruled out through appropriate diagnostic testing. In cases of confirmed pertussis, re-entry is generally permitted no sooner than five days (or three days if azithromycin is administered) after the start of effective antibiotic treatment. Without antibiotic treatment, re-entry is generally not permitted until 21 days after the onset of the cough.

For close contacts of people with whooping cough, preventive treatment with antibiotics may be advisable. This applies in particular to unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated individuals, as well as to those whose last whooping cough vaccination was a long time ago. Even fully vaccinated individuals may require such prophylaxis if they themselves belong to a high-risk group or are in close contact with particularly vulnerable individuals, such as young infants, pregnant women, or people with severe heart or lung diseases. Individual recommendations should be reviewed by a physician. 

Further information on whooping cough and vaccination can be found at the link provided on the website of the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG): www.infektionsschutz.de/infektionen/erregersteckbriefe/keuchhusten/  (opens in a new tab)