This 2016 illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which causes whooping cough, based on electron microscope imagery.
Meredith Newlove / CDC via AP
In 2024, Oregon recorded the highest number of whooping cough cases, also known as pertussis, since 1950.
About 315 of the 1,105 identified cases were recorded in Lane County, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
Lane County Health Officer Dr. Patrick Luedtke said case counts started going up in the spring with a few outbreaks in schools. By June, health officials found little to no connection between many of the reported cases — a sign of community spread. That trend continued into the fall and winter.
“We’re not adequately protected via vaccines,” Luedtke said. “There has been some vaccine hesitancy since the pandemic and vaccine rates have dropped. They haven’t plummeted, but they’ve dropped and that’s put us at risk.”
He said protection from the vaccine — DTaP for children and Tdap for adolescents and adults — wanes over time. He said people who are pregnant, or those who haven’t had the shot in 10 years, should get another dose.
“We have very good data, published studies, very good research,” Luedtke said, “that getting vaccinated during an outbreak can stop the outbreak in its tracks.”
The other counties with the most whooping cough cases were Multnomah, with 235 cases, Clackamas with 135, Washington with 119, and Marion with 75.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
This republished story is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit opb.org/partnerships.