In 2024, France and Europe experienced a significant resurgence of pertussis, with a marked increase in the number of cases across their territories. Pertussis occurs in epidemic cycles every 3 to 5 years; the last such cycle was in 2017–2018, and the circulation of the bacterium had been low following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the arrival of a new cycle was expected, the scale and intensity of this new epidemic were surprising in their speed and scope. Surveillance indicators showed a steady increase during the first quarter of 2024, peaking in July–August.

Despite a notable decline in cases in the fourth quarter of 2024, indicating the end of the epidemic cycle for 2024, levels of bacterial circulation remained high compared to previous years. In response, health authorities, including Santé publique France, recommended increased vigilance and reiterated the importance of preventive measures and up-to-date vaccinations to reduce the risk of severe disease in newborns and infants and to protect at-risk adults.

Pertussis Epidemic Situation in France in 2024

In 2024, in community practice, the Sentinelles network reported an estimated 162,612 cases seen in general practice consultations. After peaking in July, weekly incidence rates began to decline. The total number of SOS Médecins calls for pertussis was 9,817. These calls rose steadily until June, then remained stable but high throughout the summer, before declining across all age groups and regions.

In hospitals, the total number of emergency department visits for pertussis in 2024 was 7,012. After 33 consecutive weeks of increases since the start of the year, the weekly number of visits began to decline starting in mid-August. The total number of hospitalizations following emergency department visits for pertussis in 2024 was 1,471.

The weekly number of hospitalizations increased since the start of the year, then began to decline sharply starting in June. By the end of the year, this number had returned to levels comparable to those of the last epidemic in 2017–2018.
The RENACOQ network, which monitors pediatric cases of pertussis seen in hospitals, reported 500 infants under 12 months of age for 2024 (provisional data), of whom 74% (or 376 infants) were under 6 months of age. This total number of cases in 2024 exceeds those reported during the last peaks in 2012 and 2017.

Regarding mortality data, 46 deaths were reported in 2024, including 24 children (21 were under 1 year of age) and 22 adults (15 of whom were 80 years of age or older).

Regarding antibiotic resistance: the CNR identified 17 patients infected with a macrolide-resistant B. pertussis (MRBP) strain in 2024, representing a prevalence of 1.9%. Until early 2024, only one case of macrolide resistance had been reported in France, in 2011. These new data show that macrolide resistance appears to be increasing in France.

Internationally, only the WHO European Region appears to have experienced an epidemic surge in 2024 compared to other WHO regions, with an estimated incidence rate of 386 cases per 1 million inhabitants. Neighboring European countries were also experiencing the end of a pertussis epidemic cycle by the end of 2024, with no resurgence of transmission in 2025.

Since the beginning of 2025, the indicators monitored (primary care, hospital, and clinical laboratory data) for the first six months of 2025 do not appear to show a resurgence of the bacterium’s circulation during the spring-summer 2025 period (provisional data), even though a very moderate seasonal peak was observed based on data from the laboratory network.

• Learn more about pertussis surveillance

Vaccination is essential against whooping cough

Hospitalizations and deaths related to pertussis occur primarily among infants under 6 months of age, who are the population most at risk of severe disease. In the context of the major pertussis epidemic that occurred in 2024 and to protect the youngest infants, pertussis vaccination for young mothers remains essential and the best possible protection.

Among women who gave birth in 2024, vaccination coverage (at least 1 dose) was estimated at 62.3%, compared to 43.4% for those who gave birth in 2023—a 18.9-point increase in coverage.

Thus, the vaccination policy aims to reduce the risks of severe forms of the disease and is based on three complementary strategies:

• mandatory vaccination with a primary series of two doses administered two months apart—that is, at 2 months (8 weeks) and 4 months—followed by a booster at 11 months, and the administration of booster doses at 6 years, 11–13 years of age and up to adulthood (25 years of age, with the option to catch up until age 39);

• vaccination of pregnant women, recommended starting in the second trimester of pregnancy, with priority given to the period between 20 and 36 weeks of amenorrhea;

• if the mother was not vaccinated during pregnancy, vaccination of the mother postpartum and of individuals likely to be in close contact with the infant during the first 6 months of life (the so-called “cocooning” strategy).

In addition to infants not protected by vaccination, individuals at risk of severe forms of pertussis include those with chronic respiratory diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.), immunocompromised individuals, obese individuals, and those over 80 years of age. It is therefore reiterated that vaccination is recommended for:

• immunocompromised individuals,

• healthcare professionals (including those in nursing homes for the elderly (EHPAD)),

• people working in close and repeated contact with infants under 6 months of age,

• students in medical and paramedical programs,

• early childhood professionals, including child care providers and those who regularly babysit.

In addition, for the general population: a pertussis booster is also recommended at ages 6, 11–13, then 25, 45, and 65, and every 10 years starting at age 65, in combination with diphtheria, tetanus, and polio boosters.

See also

• CNR Whooping Cough Activity Report

• Sentinelles Network Reports

• Link to pertussis bulletins published in 2024

• Link to the pertussis page on vaccination-info-service.fr