State health officials say Kentucky is seeing an increase in pertussis cases commonly known as whooping cough.

Experts say one of the best ways to protect yourself and others from whooping cough is by staying up to date on your immunizations.

And tonight, Medical news.

Kentucky Edition's Clayton Dalton talks about where the state currently stands and what Kentuckians can do to stay safe.

Kentucky health officials say they've identified 130 cases of pertussis or whooping cough.

So far this year, Lexington has seen some of the worst of the outbreak.

In my hometown of Lexington, we've experienced a concerning outbreak of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, according to recent reports.

There have been over 50 confirmed cases in just the past few months.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can be particularly dangerous for infants and young children, causing severe coughing fits, breathing difficulties and in some cases, even death.

This outbreak is a stark reminder of what can happen when immunization rates fall.

It's not just about individual protection.

It's about community immunity.

Experts say the decrease in immunization rates is a lingering effect from the COVID 19 pandemic.

During the disruption of the pandemic, many families fell behind on their routine wellness checkups and with them, their recommended immunizations.

And immunization rates in Kentucky have still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

That drop in community immunity is fueling the return of these vaccine preventable illnesses like measles and pertussis diseases that Tom mentioned we've really not seen in their prime since the Victorian era.

They are dangerous, highly communicable disease that have been eradicated did until recently.

And we're starting to face a perfect storm scenario where Foles and our community immunity are only becoming larger as those immunization rates decline.

Getting vaccinated is an individual choice, but it impacts others.

The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the more protected it is from diseases like whooping cough.

As students head back to school, were reminded of the critical role that immunizations play in protecting the health of our communities.

Immunizations are one of the most effective public health interventions we have.

They protect our children from preventable diseases and help maintain the overall health of our communities.

Children should be vaccinated against whooping cough before kindergarten, and teens and adults should re-up at least every ten years.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

Thank you.

Clayton And this year's legislative session, lawmakers passed House Bill 274, which allows pharmacists to continue providing vaccinations to patients five years and older.

Increasing access for families across the state.

For more information about the whooping cough vaccine, the state urges you to talk with your doctor.