Whooping cough cases up in Wyoming, officials warn

JACKSON (WNE) — Public health officials are sounding the alarm as whooping cough spreads across the Equality State.

Twenty-six cases of whooping cough — more formally called pertussis — have been confirmed so far in 2026, two-thirds of which are in Fremont County. The rise follows a spike in cases last year, when 148 reported cases amounted to Wyoming’s highest single-year total since 1951.

“I’m not surprised,” said Tiffany Milner, a pediatrician at St. John’s Health, pointing to increasing levels of vaccine hesitancy in parents. “It’s very scary. I’m sure that we’re going to see more cases of pertussis.”

The illness can be deadly for infants. Doctors are urging Wyomingites to make sure both they and their children are up to date on vaccines.

“Those babies are really at the highest risk for severe complications,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer at the Wyoming Department of Health.

Pertussis is a respiratory infection. People who get sick often have cold-like symptoms, such as congestion or a typical cough, but the defining signs are abnormal coughing fits that cap off in a characteristic “whooping” sound.

Children who contract the illness often vomit after coughing, Milner said. The fits can reoccur over days to weeks. Infants can stop breathing after the fits, putting them at high risk.

The Jackson-based provider doesn’t regularly see whooping cough in the clinic, which she attributes to it being a vaccine-preventable illness. She has, however, seen it in babies who show up to the hospital and have turned blue from a lack of air.

“That’s kind of the hallmark sign to parents that something’s really wrong with their baby, [they’re] turning blue,” Milner said. 

Both state officials and Milner recommended vaccination for all Wyomingites. 

But adolescents and adults — especially those taking care of infants — should get a Tdap booster vaccine too, they said.

This story was published on March 17, 2026.