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The incidence of pertussis predictably peaks every 3 to 5 years. Although vaccination has lowered the numbers of cases and deaths, more than 28,000 cases were reported in the U.S. last year. The current report details the 2014 epidemic in California.
During the 2010 epidemic in California, approximately 9000 cases of pertussis were reported, resulting in 800 hospitalizations and 10 infant deaths. In 2014, the number of cases reported has surpassed the 2010 figure by almost 1000, and disease incidence has been highest among infants aged <12 months. Incidence has also been high among adolescents aged 14 to 16 years, but their hospitalization rate is low compared with young infants (0.2% vs. 79%). These adolescents were the first to receive ace…