Brace yourself: Whooping cough virus surges nationwide

Respiratory virus season is underway, as doctors brace for an annual surge of influenza, COVID-19, and RSV.  But this year brings an added punch: whooping cough.

“Once we start hearing about outbreaks,” says UW Medicine’s Dr. Helen Chu. “That’s the time when people will realize it’s real.”

Data shows how real the spike is.

There have been more than 16,000 cases nationwide in 2024. That’s four times more cases than this time last year.

In Washington State, 2023 had 43 reported whooping cough cases. This year, the reported case count for whooping cough is 873.

The respiratory virus can be dangerous and deadly, especially for young children, because the virus impacts their ability to breathe.

But despite whooping cough’s severity, not everyone is being proactive, says Dr. Chu. She tells KIRO 7 vaccination rates for respiratory viruses are down in Washington from pre-pandemic levels.

“Until those rates come up, we’re probably going to see outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases – particularly in places like schools,” says Dr. Chu.

The majority of this year’s whooping cough cases in Washington have been seen in Clark and King Counties.   Pierce, Thurston, and Snohomish County health departments are also reporting increased cases.

The solution to is simple, says Dr. Chu. “These are vaccine preventable diseases. You can get a shot that protects you. There’s no reason not to do it now.”

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