Whooping cough numbers continue to skyrocket
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SEATTLE -- The number of whooping cough cases in Washington state is still climbing at a rapid rate, and health officials are urging anyone not protected to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
More than 200 additional cases of whooping cough were diagnosed in just the last week, bringing the total number of patients with the disease in Washington this year to more than 2,300.
Officials say that total is more than 14 times the number of diagnosed cases of whooping cough seen in Washington by the same time last year.
"We haven't seen anything like this since the 1940s. This bug really has hold of Washington state," said Washington State Secretary of Health Mary Selecky.
Selecky said unvaccinated children and kids who didn't get all of their shots are contributing to the outbreak, and many adults who contract the disease don't realize they have it.
Experts with the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been reviewing the data from Washington and determined that kids age 10 to 13 are being hit particularly hard, Selecky said.
"If you have a teenager who has a dry hacking cough, please get it checked out," she said. "It's very highly contagious."
Whooping cough is particularly dangerous to babies, because their throats can close when they lapse into a fit of coughing.
"We need to do our part to protect them," Selecky said. "Get yourself a booster shot. And get your kids immunized."
The state Department of Health says kids age 7 to 10 who aren't fully vaccinated and anyone 11 or older should get a whooping cough booster shot.
If you need help finding a doctor or if you don't have health insurance, you can call the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588.
More than 200 additional cases of whooping cough were diagnosed in just the last week, bringing the total number of patients with the disease in Washington this year to more than 2,300.
Officials say that total is more than 14 times the number of diagnosed cases of whooping cough seen in Washington by the same time last year.
"We haven't seen anything like this since the 1940s. This bug really has hold of Washington state," said Washington State Secretary of Health Mary Selecky.
Selecky said unvaccinated children and kids who didn't get all of their shots are contributing to the outbreak, and many adults who contract the disease don't realize they have it.
Experts with the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been reviewing the data from Washington and determined that kids age 10 to 13 are being hit particularly hard, Selecky said.
"If you have a teenager who has a dry hacking cough, please get it checked out," she said. "It's very highly contagious."
Whooping cough is particularly dangerous to babies, because their throats can close when they lapse into a fit of coughing.
"We need to do our part to protect them," Selecky said. "Get yourself a booster shot. And get your kids immunized."
The state Department of Health says kids age 7 to 10 who aren't fully vaccinated and anyone 11 or older should get a whooping cough booster shot.
If you need help finding a doctor or if you don't have health insurance, you can call the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588.
