Whooping cough cases are continuing to rise in the United States, with new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that there are five times as many cases this year than at this point in time last year.

Nationwide, CDC has reported that kindergarten vaccination rates dipped last year and vaccine exemptions are at an all-time high. Thursday, it released state figures, showing that about 86% of kindergartners in Wisconsin got the whooping cough vaccine, compared to more than 92% nationally.

Five times as many cases of the potentially fatal illness have been reported so far in 2024, compared with the same time last year.

Dr. Jon LaPook talks about the infections on the rise this season, including whooping cough and walking pneumonia.

The CDC reported that more than five times as many whooping cough cases have been recorded compared to 2023 in a return to pre-pandemic levels.

Only four years since 1958 have seen a higher number of whooping cough cases, according to the Washington state Department of Health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday that whooping cough cases for this time of year hit their highest level in a decade. With 18,506 cases reported so far in 2024, the total marks the most cases recorded since 2014,