Whooping cough is surging in the United States, with cases now five times higher than they were at the same point last year, according to preliminary data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was reported Friday.

Whooping cough cases have gone up in the U.S. compared to last year, according to new statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week. There have been 14,569 confirmed cases of whooping cough so far this year,

Whooping cough cases are climbing at the fastest pace in years as students across America return to school, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.