Whooping cough (pertussis) is on the rise in Washington state, and people are being urged to get vaccinated against the disease, especially pregnant women, as infants are very susceptible to severe illness and even death from pertussis, the Spokane Regional Health District says.

Pertussis is a serious disease that affects the respiratory system and is spread by coughing and sneezing. So far this year, 319 cases of whooping cough have been reported in the state, compared to 49 reported cases during the same time in 2014, the district says. Although Spokane County’s rate comparisons aren’t as dramatic—12 cases have been reported this year, compared with six in the same period last year—district Health Officer, Dr. Joel McCullough says he is still concerned about the overall rise in the number of pertussis cases.

“With previous whooping cough and flu outbreaks, the numbers grew first in the western part of the state and after several weeks, Spokane experienced its outbreaks,” McCullough says. “If that is true for this round of whooping cough, the silver lining is that our community has time to prepare. Vaccination remains the best tool we have to protect ourselves and others from the disease, especially babies, who most often catch the illness from an adolescent or adult.”

Pertussis is cyclical and outbreaks occur every three to five years, and most cases are diagnosed in late spring to early autumn, the district says. The last outbreak in Spokane was in 2012 with a total of 198 cases, so it’s not unlikely that another outbreak could occur, it says.

Pertussis begins with a cough and runny nose. After one to two weeks, the cough worsens and children may have rapid coughing spells that end with a “whooping” sound. Adults may have less severe symptoms, but often have a cough which can last for many weeks. Pertussis has been called the 100-day cough.

In addition to diagnosing and treating the illness, health care providers can help families determine if they have the highest recommended level of vaccine protection, the health district says.

It says it’s continuing to partner with Spokane Public Schools and Group Health Foundation to hold free immunization clinics. It held clinics at two schools last month and another one earlier this week.

The clinics offer free administration of all required childhood immunizations for children ages 2-18, including the pertussis vaccine for children (DTaP), as well as a limited availability of no-cost vaccines for underinsured or uninsured adults, including the pertussis vaccine for adolescents and adults (Tdap).

While the pertussis vaccine provides protection against whooping cough, the level of protection can decrease as time passes after vaccination, the health district says. This means it’s important that children and adults have all the recommended doses for the best protection against whooping cough, it says.

If an individual is around people at high risk for whooping cough, it is important to know that it takes about two weeks following vaccination to be fully protected, the district says. Getting vaccinated protects both the person getting the shot and other people around them at highest risk for complications, such as babies and pregnant women, it says.

For more information about whooping cough and where to get vaccinated, visit srhd.org/whoopingcough. More information can also be found on DOH’s web site at www.doh.wa.gov, or at www.srhd.org.

On a related note, Rite Aid Corp. announced last week that its pharmacists are available to administer the whooping cough vaccine at all 139 of its pharmacy store locations in Washington state.