Whooping Cough Outbreak In South KoreaPertussis, or the whooping cough, is a vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacterium. The 2023 whooping cough outbreak in South Korea began in Gyeongsang Province, primarily linked to transmission in kindergartens, elementary schools and high schools. On Sept. 4, 2025, the new administration passed the Special Act on Essential and Regional Health Care and the Regional Doctor Training Act, which aim to reform the current health care system. South Korea Expands Immunization EffortsIn 2020, South Korea joined the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), aiming to accelerate the development of vaccines for infectious diseases to prevent a pandemic situation. Looking AheadThe whooping cough outbreak in South Korea highlights the ongoing challenges this and other infectious diseases present, but recent reforms and expanded vaccine research signal progress.