Whooping Cough Case Count Passes 1,000 Cases

Washington’s whooping cough epidemic continues on a record pace that has already surpassed 1,000 reported cases. The total of 1,008 as of April 21 is more than reported in all of 2011 and is the highest number of cases since 1,026 were reported in all of 2005.

Our state is on pace to reach more than 3,000 cases for the year; levels that haven’t been seen in more than six decades.

“We’re very concerned about the risk to infants, especially because of how quickly whooping cough is spreading,” says Secretary of Health, Mary Selecky. “Whooping cough can be life threatening for infants, and they’re too young to get enough doses of vaccine to be protected. That’s why we want everyone else to make sure they’re vaccinated against whooping cough.”

Already this year 71 infants under a year old have been reported to have whooping cough. Eighteen of them have been hospitalized. No babies have died in 2012, but two babies died in 2010 and two in 2011.

Many cases are being reported in school age children. The vaccine that young children get wears off over time, so all children age 11-12 should get a whooping cough booster shot, called Tdap.