Clark County has seen an alarming spike in cases of whooping cough and chickenpox in children, but health officials say the outbreak could have been prevented.
Since the beginning of this year, 406 Clark County residents, mostly children, have been diagnosed with pertussis, with 168 cases reported in the past two months. This is the highest number of cases of any county in Washington state.
Throughout 2023, 14 cases of pertussis were reported in Clark County.
Varicella cases are also on the rise, with 50 cases reported since the beginning of 2024. 23 of those cases were linked to three school outbreaks in late September.
Most cases of whooping cough and chickenpox occur in unvaccinated children.
“Everyone has their own reasons for not vaccinating their children, but there is no reason why we should get an outbreak like this from something that is preventable,” said Clark County Public Health Director Dr. Alan Melnick. “It is very frustrating that the infection continues to spread.”
Melnick said the best thing families can do is make sure their children are up to date on vaccinations.
recognize symptoms
Whooping cough, or whooping cough, is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria that is spread from person to person by breathing, coughing, or sneezing.
The disease can be particularly serious in infants under 1 year of age, who are at high risk for serious complications.
Chickenpox is a contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It is mainly transmitted through contact with chickenpox patients.
According to the Department of Public Health, symptoms of chickenpox include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and headache, followed by a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters.
People with chickenpox can be contagious for up to two days before a rash appears and remain contagious until the blisters crust over.
In the event of a chickenpox outbreak at school, students without evidence of immunity may be excluded from class for 21 days from the date of their last chickenpox infection.
“Children who get sick not only miss school, but they can also carry the disease home to younger siblings and others who are at higher risk of complications from these illnesses,” the Department of Public Health said in a news release. Ta.
upward trend
This is not the first time Clark County has recorded a spike in pertussis cases this year, most of which occurred among unvaccinated people.
In June, public health confirmed 60 cases of pertussis in the county.
As of Nov. 2, the Washington State Department of Health counted 1,193 pertussis cases in 31 counties. This time last year, the state health department had reported just 51 cases.
Before this year, the most recent outbreak of pertussis in Clark County was in 2015, when public health recorded 319 cases.
Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics. After 5 days of antibiotics, the patient can no longer spread the disease, but the cough may persist.
For whooping cough, the state recommends that children receive five doses of diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis vaccine (also known as DTaP) by age 7.
According to the Department of Public Health, adolescents and adults aged 11 and older should receive a tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis booster, commonly known as Tdap.
People who have been vaccinated can still get whooping cough, but the symptoms are usually milder.
Two doses of varicella vaccine are recommended for children. The first time is between 12 and 15 months old, and the second time is between 4 and 6 years old. According to the Department of Public Health, two doses of the vaccine are 90% effective in preventing chickenpox.
“These are highly contagious diseases, and we are concerned that we will see an increase in these cases throughout the school year and the holiday season,” Melnick said. “So far, vaccination is the best way to prevent these diseases from occurring.”
