Whooping cough cases in Washington state might hit 2,000 by end of 2024

December 26, 2024 / 11:23 am

caption: Nurses Fatima Guillen, left, and Fran Wendt, right, give Kimberly Magdeleno, 4, a Tdap whooping cough booster shot in Tacoma, Washington.

Cases of whooping cough continue to climb in Washington state.

So far in 2024, close to 2,000 cases have been reported, compared to just 78 at the same time last year. This year’s total is the highest since 2012.

Dr. Scott Lindquist, an epidemiologist with the Washington Department of Health, told KNKX that whooping cough, also known as pertussis, does have a vaccine, so it typically goes through peaks and valleys every year.

“But we’ve also seen our vaccinations decreasing,” Lindquist said. “Therein sets up a perfect chance to have multiple outbreaks of pertussis around the state.”

Whooping cough causes a severe cough and can last for months. It is especially dangerous for infants.

Early symptoms are fever, runny nose, and a cough, but it can develop into violent, uncontrolled coughing fits that leave infected people struggling to breath. The name comes from the high-pitched sound people make when inhaling after a cough.

Whooping cough moves from person to person through the air when people sneeze or cough and others breathe in those particles. People can be contagious for at least two weeks after a cough starts.

In addition to whooping cough, King County reports an increase in emergency room visits for children between the ages of 5 and 17 suffering from walking pneumonia. Those cases have accounted for roughly 5% of ER visits since October.