The North Olympic Peninsula has reported 26 confirmed cases of whooping cough as of Thursday, according to the state Department of Health.
Jefferson County has reported 21 cases of whooping cough in 2012, the 18th lowest number in Washington.
But the Jefferson County whooping cough rate of 71.7 percent of cases per 100,000 of population is second in Washington only to Skagit County, which had 234 cases.
Five cases of whooping cough have been reported in Clallam County in 2012, the ninth lowest among Washington’s 27 counties and the same as Spokane County, which is almost seven times larger in population than Clallam, according to the state Department of Health.
Clallam County’s rate of 7.1 persons with whooping cough per 100,000 persons is the 12th lowest in the state.
Statewide, the percentage of cases by age group is highest among those ages 10-13, followed by ages 5-9 and 14-18.
For information, visit www.doh.wa.gov.
