Clark County is experiencing an alarming spike in whooping cough and chickenpox cases among children — outbreaks that health officials say could’ve been prevented.
Since the beginning of the year, 406 Clark County residents — mostly children — have been diagnosed with whooping cough, with 168 cases reported in the last two months. It is the highest number of cases among all counties in Washington.
Throughout 2023, Clark County reported 14 cases of whooping cough.
Chickenpox cases have also been on the rise, with 50 cases reported since the beginning of 2024. Of those cases, 23 were tied to three school outbreaks in late September.
Most of the whooping cough and chickenpox cases are among unvaccinated children.
“People have different reasons for not getting their children vaccinated, but there’s no reason why we should be seeing these outbreaks from something that is preventable,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County Public Health director. “It’s incredibly frustrating that we continue to see outbreaks.”
Melnick said the best thing families can do is ensure their children are up to date on their vaccinations.
Recognize the symptoms
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a respiratory illness caused by bacteria that spreads from person to person through breathing, coughing or sneezing.
The illness can be especially serious for babies younger than 1 year, who are at higher risk of severe complications.
Chickenpox is a contagious disease caused by the virus varicella-zoster. It is mainly spread through contact with someone who has chickenpox.
Symptoms of chickenpox include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite and headache, followed by a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters, according to Public Health.
People who have chickenpox are contagious for up to two days before the rash begins and remain contagious until the blisters have scabbed.
When a school experiences a chickenpox outbreak, students without evidence of immunity can be excluded from classes for 21 days from the last date they were exposed.
“Not only will children who get sick miss time at school, they can also bring the illness home to their younger siblings and others who are at higher risk for complications from these diseases,” Public Health said in a news release.
Rising trend
This isn’t the first time this year Clark County recorded a spike in whooping cough cases, mostly among unvaccinated individuals.
In June, Public Health identified 60 cases of whooping cough in the county.
As of Nov. 2, the Washington State Department of Health counted 1,193 cases of whooping cough across 31 counties. This time last year, the state health department had reported only 51 cases.
Before this year, the most recent whooping cough outbreak in Clark County was in 2015 when Public Health recorded 319 cases.
Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics. After five days of antibiotics, patients can no longer spread the illness, but the cough may continue.
For whooping cough, the state recommends children receive five doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine, also known as DTaP, before age 7.
Adolescents starting at age 11 and adults should receive a tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis booster, commonly known as Tdap, according to Public Health.
People who are vaccinated may still get whooping cough, but their illness is usually less severe.
Two doses of the chickenpox vaccine are recommended for children: one dose at 12 to 15 months old and a second dose at 4 to 6 years old. Two doses of the vaccine are 90 percent effective at preventing chickenpox, Public Health said.
“These are highly contagious diseases. We’re concerned we’re going to see an increase in these cases throughout the school year and the holiday season,” Melnick said. “By far, vaccinations are the best way to prevent these illnesses from occurring.”
