Whooping cough cases have surged to their highest levels since 2014, with health experts urging vaccinations and preventative measures to protect vulnerable populations, especially young children.

Mohan said whooping cough is a contagious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, a bacteria that only affects humans. Cold-like symptoms are usually the first signs of whooping cough.

One hypothesis is that the switch from a vaccine containing whole Bordetella pertussis cells to an acellular version with pertussis antigens—a change that happened in the US around the year 2000—might ...