Governor to announce emergency action on pertussis
May 3, 2012, 9:03 AM | Updated: 9:33 am
Health officials say the state is on pace to reach more than 3,000 whooping cough cases for the year, and they are urging people to get vaccinated. (AP Photo/file)
(AP Photo/file)
The Governor is taking emergency action because of an outbreak of pertussis, or whooping cough this year.
The Washington State Health Department reports there have been more than 1,100 cases so far in 2012 compared to 117 cases all of last year.
Health officials say the state is on pace to reach more than 3,000 whooping cough cases for the year, and they are urging people to get vaccinated.
The Governor and Secretary of Health Mary Seleky will announce a strategy Thursday afternoon to help stop the spread of pertussis, which is easily passed along by coughing and sneezing. A news conference is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at a community health clinic in Tacoma.
Some county health departments have offered free vaccination clinics.
Children who are not vaccinated can be excluded from school during an outbreak.
Infants are particularly vulnerable to whooping cough because they can’t be immunized before 4 to 6 weeks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
