More cases of whooping cough confirmed in Olympia’s schools

Several more cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in the Olympia School District.

As of Wednesday morning, there were seven confirmed cases at Lincoln Elementary School, and one at McKenny Elementary School, according to Gabrielle Byrne, a spokeswoman for Thurston County Public Health and Social Services.

Also known as pertussis, whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that spreads easily by coughing and sneezing.

Byrne said she could not provide information on whether or not the cases involved vaccinated children.

However, vaccinated children are still at-risk of the infection.

“Even if you’ve been vaccinated for pertussis, your immunity wanes over time, but can nonetheless reduce the severity of the illness,” Byrne said. “It’s also important to note that people staying home when they’re sick protects other community members, because pertussis is contagious, regardless of severity.”

This story was originally published October 4, 2017 at 11:51 AM with the headline "More cases of whooping cough confirmed in Olympia’s schools."