Across several Canadian provinces, a disease many had nearly forgotten has returned in force. Whooping cough, a contagious illness that a vaccine can prevent, is climbing well past its ordinary levels in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick, where the counts now stand far above what these places have seen in recent years. Health officials read the pattern as a rhythm that comes around every few years, deepened by the gaps that the pandemic left in routine immunization and by immunity that fades over time. For parents, grandparents and expectant mothers, the quiet lesson is that protection is not
Whooping Cough Cases Surge Across Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick as Officials Urge Vaccine Updates
Thousands of infections, with the disease described as potentially very serious for young children.
"Certainly overdue for an increase in cases"
Mark
Quebec's number is huge. Why does it stand out?
Mimi
It's more than 11,670 cases, against an average of 562 from 2015 to 2019. Even the 2019 peak was 1,269.
Mark
And who is getting sick?
Mimi
In Quebec, mostly kids aged 10 to 14, according to the health ministry.
Luke
That age detail comes from a ministry email, so it's one source. Nothing here says how many of those children were vaccinated.
Mark
Officials call it a cycle. Is that the whole explanation?
Mimi
Partly. Dr. Chris says we seem to be in a cyclical increase, but she also points to routine vaccine setbacks since the pandemic.
Luke
Careful, though. Those are possibilities. Chris said it "could point to" waning immunity, and Banerji said hesitancy "could have" rubbed off. Neither offered data showing it.
Mark
What about New Brunswick's warning that things will get worse?
Mimi
Dr. Leger expects more reported cases partly because awareness and reporting will rise.
Luke
Which means some of the rise may be better counting, not only more spread. The article doesn't say how much.
Mimi
Fair. What's solid is that officials want kids, adults and pregnant people up to date on their shots.
O Pulso
- Quebec has logged more than 11,670 cases this year, while its usual annual average over 2015 to 2019 was just 562.
- New Brunswick declared a province-wide outbreak, its first in over a decade, and officials expect its case count to climb before it eases.
- Ontario's dashboard shows 470 cases against a typical 98, and Toronto and Ottawa have each more than doubled their pre-pandemic averages.
- Health authorities are racing to restore vaccine coverage that slipped during COVID, urging catch-up doses for children, adults and pregnant people.
- The disease is hitting hardest among children aged 10 to 14, and the alarm is sharpest for very young infants who face serious risk.
Across several Canadian provinces, a disease many had nearly forgotten has returned in force. Whooping cough, a contagious illness that a vaccine can prevent, is climbing well past its ordinary levels in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick, where the counts now stand far above what these places have seen in recent years. Health officials read the pattern as a rhythm that comes around every few years, deepened by the gaps that the pandemic left in routine immunization and by immunity that fades over time. For parents, grandparents and expectant mothers, the quiet lesson is that protection is not a one-time gesture but a practice of keeping shots current, and the coming weeks will show how far this wave still has to travel.
In Quebec, the count of whooping cough cases has already passed 11,670 this year. The province averaged just 562 a year between 2015 and 2019, and even its 2019 peak reached only 1,269. Most of the patients are between 10 and 14 years old, according to the health ministry.
The pattern is repeating elsewhere. Ontario has reported 470 cases so far against a five-year average of 98, and Toronto and Ottawa have each more than doubled their usual annual totals. In Kingston and surrounding areas, public health teams have asked parents to keep their own vaccines and their children's current.
New Brunswick has gone furthest, declaring a province-wide outbreak with 141 cases, more than four times its typical yearly figure. Its acting chief medical officer, Dr. Yves Leger, said the province had not seen an outbreak in more than a decade and expects the numbers to worsen before they taper, as awareness and reporting draw out more cases. Prince Edward Island, which usually records fewer than three cases a year, has already reported 146.
The disease begins like a cold and builds over weeks into coughing fits, often ending in the characteristic whoop. Experts describe it as cyclical, returning every few years, and warn that pandemic-era dips in routine vaccination and fading immunity may have made this wave larger. The vaccine starts at two months of age, and a booster dose is recommended for adults and during pregnancy. Officials say the surge is part of a wider rise across the United States and beyond, where the Pan American Health Organization has urged countries to strengthen surveillance and vaccination.
In Quebec, the count of whooping cough cases this year has passed 11,670. Between 2015 and 2019, the province averaged 562 a year. Even the last peak, in 2019, reached only 1,269. A spokesperson for Quebec's health ministry told The Canadian Press that most of the patients are between 10 and 14 years old.
Quebec is not alone. In Ontario, a provincial dashboard showed 470 cases as of June, against a five-year average of 98. Toronto has reported 99 cases this year and Ottawa 76, each more than double the pre-pandemic annual average for those cities. On Aug. 16, Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health said it had seen a local rise and asked parents to keep vaccines current for themselves and their children.
New Brunswick went further last week, declaring a province-wide outbreak. It has 141 cases so far, well above its five-year average of 34 a year. Dr. Yves Leger, the acting chief medical officer of health, said the province had not had an outbreak in more than 10 years. "I guess you could say we were certainly overdue for an increase in cases," he said in an interview Tuesday. He expects the count to get worse before it tapers off, since public awareness of the outbreak and the reporting that follows will likely bring in more cases.
Prince Edward Island is seeing the same pattern. It normally records fewer than three cases of pertussis in a year, and so far in 2024 it has had 146. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison has spoken about what is behind the jump and how Islanders can protect themselves.
Pertussis is highly contagious and vaccine-preventable, and Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said last week it is rising across the country and can be very serious in young children. It begins with cold-like symptoms and over several weeks develops into coughing spells that often end in a "whoop" as the person catches their breath.
Officials describe it as cyclical, rising every two to five or six years. "It would appear that we're currently in one of those cyclical increases," said Dr. Allison Chris, an associate medical officer of health at Toronto Public Health. She also said setbacks in routine vaccine coverage since the COVID-19 pandemic could point to waning immunity against pertussis.
Dr. Anna Banerji, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist in Toronto, said COVID vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic could have spilled over into routine vaccine uptake. She added that even in fully vaccinated people, immunity can wane after a period of time.
Protection starts early. The vaccine is part of Canada's routine immunization program beginning at two months old. The primary series is four doses, followed by boosters later in childhood and adolescence. A dose of acellular pertussis-containing vaccine is also recommended for adults and during pregnancy.
The rise extends beyond Canada. Cases have increased in the United States and elsewhere, and in July the Pan American Health Organization issued an alert urging countries to step up surveillance and vaccination coverage. For now, New Brunswick's numbers are the ones to watch, with its health officer expecting them to climb before they fall.
Citações Notáveis
I guess you could say we were certainly overdue for an increase in cases.— Dr. Yves Leger, New Brunswick acting chief medical officer of health
It would appear that we're currently in one of those cyclical increases.— Dr. Allison Chris, Toronto Public Health
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