Whooping cough — pertussis — cases continue to soar in Clark County, with 168 cases reported in the first two months of the new school year, according to the Clark County Public Health Department.
Through October, 406 Clark County residents, mostly children, have been diagnosed with whooping cough; only 36 cases have been reported in people over the age of 20, with two total hospitalizations. Clark County has the highest number of cases among all counties in Washington.
Clark County Public Health is now also seeing a rise in chickenpox cases among children, with three schools experiencing outbreaks since late September, a news release by the department stated. So far this year, 50 cases of chickenpox have been reported, with 23 of those cases tied to the school outbreaks.
Most of the whooping cough and chickenpox cases are among unvaccinated children, according to Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer and public health director.
“It’s a contagious disease and most of the cases are unvaccinated,” Melnick told the Reflector, regarding whooping cough. “So I think for the most recent numbers we have, I think somewhere around 58% have not even had one vaccine, and the pertussis vaccine, you know, you’re going to get multiple doses starting in infancy and onwards.”
Melnick acknowledged the 58% estimate is on the lower end of a majority for unvaccinated cases, and another several percentage points can be added due to those with an inadequate number of vaccines.
“... The other point I make about this is that pertussis is an incredibly contagious disease, and so not only should we get vaccinated to protect ourselves but to protect other people around us,” Melnick said.
Pertussis can be a deadly disease among infants, Melnick said. He added that they’re the most susceptible and have the highest rates of complications due to whooping cough.
Children who get whooping cough or chickenpox cannot return to school until they are no longer contagious, which means students can miss a week or more of school, the release stated. When a school has a chickenpox outbreak, students without evidence of immunity — either from vaccination or previous infection — can be excluded for 21 days from the last date they were exposed, the release added.
Not only will children who get sick miss time at school, they can also bring the illness home to their younger siblings and others who are at higher risk for complications from these diseases. Infants are at the greatest risk for severe illness and hospitalization from whooping cough, but pregnant people, adolescents, adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for complications from chickenpox.
Whooping Cough — Pertussis
Pertussis is a serious respiratory illness that spreads easily from person to person when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Early symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a common cold: runny or stuffy nose, a mild cough and a low-grade fever. However, one to two weeks after symptoms begin, people can develop violent coughing fits that leave them gasping for air afterward. Babies with whooping cough may not cough but instead have life-threatening pauses in breathing, gagging or gasping.
People with whooping cough are contagious as soon as their first cold-like symptoms begin, so they can spread the illness to others before realizing they are infected.
People who develop symptoms of whooping cough should contact their health care provider for testing and treatment. Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, which can help reduce the severity of illness and prevent spreading the illness to others. People who live with someone who has whooping cough can also get antibiotics to help prevent infection.
Whooping Cough Vaccination
The Clark County Public Health Department stated the whooping cough vaccination is recommended for all babies, children, preteens and pregnant women. Adults who have never received a TDaP — tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis — vaccine should get one, according to the Health Department.
Babies need three doses of the DTaP — diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis — vaccine, given at ages 2, 4 and 6 months old, to build protection, the release stated. Then they receive two additional doses as young children — one at 15 to 18 months old, the second at 4 to 6 years of age — to maintain that protection.
Preteens should get one dose of TDaP when they’re 11 to 12 years old to boost their protection. And pregnant women should get a TDaP booster during the third trimester of every pregnancy. This helps to protect the baby from whooping cough in the first few months of life.
In Clark County, only 56% of children 19 to 35 months old are up to date on their whooping cough vaccinations.
Children attending school in Washington are required to be fully immunized against several vaccine-preventable diseases, including whooping cough. Children entering kindergarten are required to have five doses of DTaP.
In Clark County, about 89% of kindergartners were up to date on their whooping cough vaccination in the 2023-24 school year. About 8% of kindergartners had a personal, religious or medical immunization exemption for the whooping cough vaccine.
Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus called varicella-zoster. Chickenpox is mainly spread through close contact with someone who has chickenpox.
Early symptoms of chickenpox include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite and headache, followed by a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters. People who have chickenpox are contagious one to two days before the rash begins and remain contagious until all blisters have scabbed.
Two doses of the chickenpox vaccine are recommended for children: one dose at 12 to 15 months old and a second dose at 4 to 6 years old. Two doses of the vaccine are 90% effective at preventing chickenpox, and the chickenpox vaccine prevents almost all cases of severe illness.
