Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD) has issued some recent information on our state’s whooping cough (pertussis) epidemic, including the most recent case numbers for Pierce County.

To date in 2012, there have been 206 confirmed cases of pertussis in Pierce County residents. For context, in 2011 there were 128 cases the entire year, and in 2010 there were 84 cases. This number only includes confirmed cases and not those that have been reported and are currently being investigated. Health experts anticipate this number will rise in the coming weeks.

TPCHD will hold two more free immunization clinics in the next two weeks.  One is on Wednesday, May 23 from 5-7 p.m. at the Health Department (3629 S. ‘D’ St.) and the other is Saturday, June 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Health Department. There is lots of great information posted on the TPCHD website at www.tpchd.org including a FAQ, children and adult vaccination sites, and a coupon for free vaccinations for uninsured or underinsured adults.