Community Health & Wellness

Whooping cough cases spiked sharply in 2024

Washington saw a dramatic surge in whooping cough last year, according to preliminary data released by the Washington state Department of Health.

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The state recorded 2,261 confirmed and probable cases in 2024, 25 times more than the previous year. It’s the highest whooping cough total since 2012, according to state records.

The state had about 28.4 cases per 100,000 residents during 2024. Rates in Kitsap County (4.9 per 100,000) and in Pierce County (12.7 per 100,000) were lower.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial disease that can cause cold-like symptoms and severe coughing fits. It is most dangerous for people ages 1 and younger.

Vaccination remains the most effective protection from whooping cough. The Centers for Disease Control recommends vaccines are recommended for people of all ages.

“To protect babies from whooping cough, people of all ages should get up to date on pertussis vaccination,” Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, chief science officer at Washington Department of Health, said in a statement last year.

Mirroring a national trend, fewer students on the Kitsap Peninsula are getting routine vaccines since the pandemic, Gig Harbor Now reported last year.

Dr. Gib Morrow, health officer for the Kitsap Public Health District, said last year that most families have done a good job of receiving routine vaccinations, but a decrease nationally has led to a resurgence of preventable diseases like measles, mumps and pertussis.

“Skepticism, misinformation, and conspiracy theories have increased post-pandemic fueled by national leaders who ignore scientific evidence,” he said.