BY PEPPER FISHER
Port Angeles – This year could shape up to be the worst year for whooping cough, or pertussis, our state has seen in more than a decade. And while there have been no reported cases this year in Clallam County, County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry says it’s likely coming to our community, too.
“In Kitsap, I know they’ve seen a recent increase in cases in school-aged kids, and given how much traffic we have between our two counties, it’s really a matter of time before we start to see pertussis here.”
State health officials counted over 1,300 cases of whooping cough across 31 counties as of November 9, according to the Department of Health’s most recent update. This time last year, the state had reported just 51 cases.
Dr. Berry says, in adults, it can keep just seem like a cold that lasts for weeks, meaning it might be around and we just don’t know it yet.
“The other thing to know about pertussis is, while it’s very severe in young people, it can look like a bad, prolonged cold in adults. And so, we can have pertussis around and just not know, because people don’t go in to get tested unless they have a little kid who gets very sick.”
And if you’ve ever wondered why it’s called whooping cough, here’s what it sounds like in a child.
Pertussis can look like a simple cold at first but then can turn into a bad prolonged cough lasting more than a month, and trouble breathing in the very young and very old.
If this sounds like something you’d like to avoid this cold and flu season, the solution is as close as your nearest pharmacy.
“You can get it at any regular pharmacy that’s giving out vaccines. It’s a really common vaccine. For adults, we’re supposed to get it every 10 years. And so, if you can’t remember the last time you got it, which is true for many adults, it’s a good idea to go ahead and get that, and that will protect you against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis”
Dr. Berry says, other than vaccination, staying home when you’re sick, and wearing a mask if you can’t, can help prevent transmission of whooping cough.