ST. GEORGE, Utah — The Southwest Utah Public Health Department is reporting that the number of people who currently have whooping cough in Washington County is more than double the average number of people who get it all year.
Pediatric doctors at St. George Regional Medical Center are seeing an increase in those with whooping cough, a respiratory bacteria that causes a wide variety of illnesses.
"I've seen admission, increased kids coming in and being hospitalized," said hospital pediatrician Dr. Kerri Smith.
RedRock Pediatrics doctors Smith and Tim Larsen are seeing in person what the health department is showing in numbers. Washington County usually averages 10-15 cases of whooping cough per year. They said as of Friday, there are 28 confirmed cases and one child in the hospital, along with two more in nearby Iron County.
Severe whooping cough occurs in non-inoculated children and infants.
"It's kind of considered one of those childhood diseases that has been vaccine-preventable now for decades," explained David Heaton with the Southwest Utah Public Health Department. "Some people have suspicions, or maybe they've read some information about vaccines that gives them concerns."
Heaton said the research is overwhelming, showing that while the vaccine is not 100 percent effective, it is very safe. He said there’s less to worry about if a child is up to date on their Tdap, or tetanus, shots.
Doctors now have concerns as school is about to get underway, and say it's important to get a child checked out as soon as they show symptoms of whooping cough, including pausing between breaths, lips turning blue, fainting and difficulty breathing.
And they said not to forget the sound of the cough, which you get in the 2-3 week mark and you're not feeling any better.
The good news?
"There's a way to always make the illness more mild when they do get it," said Heaton, "and then getting treated early."
