Whooping cough is on the rise right now across the state. The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting the highest number of cases in more than a decade.

As of Dec. 5, there were more than 2,300 cases statewide — the highest since 2012.

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Most of those cases are concentrated in Hennepin County in patients ages five to 17 years old.

Dr. Krishnan Subrahmanian with Hennepin Healthcare’s Richfield Clinic says the reason for the spike is a combination of many factors, from the spread after Thanksgiving holiday gatherings to vaccination lapses since COVID.

“I think a lot of us have gotten out of the habit of going to the doctor and getting checked up, making sure we are up to date on things we need to be,” Dr. Subrahmanian said.

Subrahmanian also says whooping cough can be stubborn and spread for weeks, so anyone with symptoms and a fever that lingers for more than two to three days should consult a doctor.

“There is treatment, there is an antibiotic. Perhaps even more importantly, it can be prevented. We can give meds to family members of an exposed or an affected individual to help prevent the spread,” Subrahmanian said.

Most kids get vaccinated for whooping cough as infants and then again at age ten or 11. But doctors also say that you should continue to get vaccinated for whooping cough every ten years, including adults