Washington State Sees Increase In Whooping Cough Cases

ABC News (11/12, Kekatos, Yu) reports that “whooping cough cases are surging in Washington state, mirroring trends seen across the United States.” According to the Washington State Department of Health (WSDOH), as of November 2, “nearly 1,200 cases have been reported statewide...compared to just 51 cases reported at this time last year.” WSDOH said that “over the same period, 28 people have been hospitalized, including 12 infants under the age of one.” Meanwhile, “of the 124 Washington state infants so far in 2024 who had whooping cough, also known as pertussis, 106 were old enough to receive a vaccine against the disease.” This increase “has also been seen nationwide, with more than 22,000 cases reported in the U.S. as of the week ending Nov. 2, according to data from” the CDC.