United States: As official reports suggest, the current year is the worst year for the whooping cough crisis in Washington in over a decade.
A total of 1,193 cases across 31 counties were reported as of November 2, the Department of Health reported. When compared with last year’s count, there were just fifty-one total cases in the state.
Sharp Increase in Pertussis Cases
However, Washington was not alone in the steep rise of very contagious bacterial disease cases in the present year.
The US has seen more than twenty thousand cases in the present year. Out of which, seven states including Washington have more than a thousand count of cases, the Seattle Times reported.
According to Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, the state’s chief science officer and a pediatrician, “The surge in pertussis cases is a stark reminder of how critical vaccinations are in protecting our most vulnerable, especially infants for whom it can be life-threatening,” the Washington Post reported.
According to DOH reports, out of the total who have gotten sick, twenty-eight have been hospitalized including twelve infants of age younger than one year of age.
Furthermore, more than eighty percent of the cases were seen in those of age less than eighteen years of age, whereas around thirty-four were those of kids younger than four years of age.
As the reports suggest, Whitman, Clark, and Chelan counties encountered the highest rate of infections, where all of the reported cases ranged between 78 and 113 per 100,000 individuals.
Also, Clark County’s infection rate has stood second highest, with nearly 83 per 100,000, whereas more than four hundred were reported this year, which is the highest rate in the state so far.
What is Pertussis?
It is often associated with the common cold, which involves a runny nose, however, it could also lead to a severe state causing coughing fits, lasting for weeks or months, as per DOH.
Moreover, as experts state, babies are the most vulnerable to this condition leading to severe illness and even death in certain cases.
As DOH mentioned, in the case of some infants, typical coughing symptoms might not be there, and they could face a “dangerous pause” in their breathing.
“To protect babies from whooping cough, people of all ages should get up to date on pertussis vaccination, and anyone with symptoms should see a health care provider to see if testing and antibiotic treatment are needed,” Kwan-Gett added.
Routine shots
According to Dr. Helen Chu and Collrane Frivold, infectious disease and vaccine researchers at the University of Washington, the regular shots for the disease are “extremely safe,” the Washington Post reported.
“Unfortunately, skepticism that arose during the pandemic about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine has bled over into a declining confidence in routine childhood vaccines, and now many children, teens, and young adults in our community are under-vaccinated,” Chu and Frivold added.