Whooping cough cases in Florida have soared this year, marking an 81% increase from 2024’s number.
As of Sept. 27, 2025, there have been 1,295 cases reported to the Florida Department of Health (DOH), compared to 715 cases for the entirety of 2024, according to the department’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report.
Much like the measles, I’ve never known or even heard of someone having it. Hell, I’m still not 100% on how those diseases work. Because we had pretty much wiped that shit out. My birth year was the cutoff for the smallpox vaccine, because we did wipe it out.
I had measles, and it fucking sucked. Would not recommend. Smearing on that pink cream stuff was awful, but not as bad as the itchiness, the rashy bumps, and the overall feeling of dread.