A version of this article originally appeared in the Kitsap Sun.
Washington saw a dramatic surge in whooping cough last year, according to preliminary data released by the Washington State Department of Health this month.
The state recorded 2,261 confirmed and probable cases in 2024, 25 times more than the previous year. It’s the highest whooping cough total since 2012, according to state records. This year, 1,314 cases were reported statewide as of May 31.
The state had about 28.4 cases per 100,000 residents during 2024.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a bacterial disease that can cause cold-like symptoms and severe coughing fits. It is most dangerous for people ages 1 and younger.
The increase comes as vaccinations among babies and toddlers have decreased in the past six years. Vaccination coverage rates in Washington among 19- to 35-month-olds decreased from 73% in 2019 to 65% in 2024, according to the Department of Health.
Vaccination remains the most effective protection from whooping cough. The Centers for Disease Control recommends vaccines for people of all ages.
“To protect babies from whooping cough, people of all ages should get up to date on pertussis vaccination,” Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, chief science officer at the Washington Department of Health, said in a statement last year.
Mirroring a national trend, fewer students on the Kitsap Peninsula are getting routine vaccines since the pandemic, the Kitsap Sun and Gig Harbor Now reported last year.
Dr. Gib Morrow, health officer for the Kitsap Public Health District, said last year that most families have done a good job of receiving routine vaccinations, but a decrease nationally has led to a resurgence of preventable diseases like measles, mumps and pertussis.
“Skepticism, misinformation and conspiracy theories have increased post-pandemic, fueled by national leaders who ignore scientific evidence,” he said.
The Kitsap Sun originally published a version of this story on June 18, 2025. Conor Wilson is a Washington State University Murrow News fellow, reporting for the Kitsap Sun and Gig Harbor Now.
