State-wide reports of the respiratory illness exceed those of 1950s’ previous all-time annual record
Ashland.news staff report
Whooping cough cases in Oregon are at the highest that they have been in decades, with Jackson County reporting that it has experienced the most cases in the past 20 years while the state has broken a 75-year record, according to a Dec. 10 announcement.
With the increase in cases, public health officials encourage citizens to receive and/or remain updated on their vaccinations and to use strategies to help slow the spread of respiratory illnesses like whooping cough.
According to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), infants are the most at risk of more serious medical symptoms due to their growing immune systems.
Because of this, health providers recommend families follow the “cocooning” strategy where all individuals closest to the child are vaccinated, or receive a booster if not up to date, in order to reduce the child’s exposure to the illness.
Health providers also recommend that pregnant individuals receive the Tdap vaccine while pregnant. In the OHA’s recent announcement, they shared that the Tdap is their recommendation because the “vaccination during pregnancy is highly effective in preventing (whooping cough) infection and hospitalization.”
The illness is spread through droplets when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. Symptoms often consist of what seems like a longer term cold and then progress to “uncontrollable coughing fit(s) that can cause vomiting, exhaustion, and a ‘whooping’ sound when inhaling” according to Jackson County Health and Human Services (JCHHS).
Because the ‘whooping’ sound does not always occur in every case and some infected individuals will experience milder symptoms, it can go undiagnosed and often does.
According to a JCHHS release, of the 63 cases reported in Jackson County, 65% occurred within 5-19 year olds and 19% within 1-4 year olds. Over half of the cases reported occurred in individuals who had not been vaccinated, and less than a quarter occurred in individuals who had yet to receive updated vaccinations.
While there is no cure for the whooping cough, antibiotics can be used to lessen the severity of the symptoms.
The Jackson County Public Health Immunization Clinic provides the vaccine for whooping cough and offers scheduled and walk in appointments. To schedule an appointment, call 541-774-8209.
Source: Oregon Health Authority and Jackson County Health and Human Services news release. Email Ashland.news at [email protected].
Related stories:
Oregon parents disproportionately exempt school-age children from vaccines (Dec. 26, 2025)
Any Oregonian who wants COVID-19 vaccine can get it, state says (Sept. 19, 2025)
