'Concern all over the place' as Whooping Cough cases rising rapidly in Henderson County

HENDERSON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Pertussis, better known as Whooping Cough, is spreading rapidly across Henderson County.

Since April 3, county health officials have tracked 51 cases.

“I’m petrified,” Whitley Drugs Pharmacy Manager Travis Smith said Wednesday, May 1. “There’s a reason we have vaccines for it. There’s a reason we start them early. It can be deadly to a young child.”

Officials say it could -- and likely will -- spread further before seeing a slowdown in cases.

“We had a prior outbreak back in 2017-18,” Henderson County Health Director Steve Smith said. “That ended up being 95 cases. I think it’s very possible we get into that range with this most recent outbreak. It’s a fundamental element for pertussis. It’s highly contagious, so it spreads very easily.”

HENDERSON COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS REPORT OUTBREAK OF WHOOPING COUGH CASES

“We’ve gotten quite a few prescriptions from the health department,” Travis said. “That’s something I don’t normally see. I’ve seen more of them. I’ve talked to more patients as a result.”

Infants, pregnant women and those who are immuno-compromised are most vulnerable. That is why schools and daycare centers can act as a super-spreader spot for the disease.

“There’s concern all over the place,” Travis said. “These kids are in a close proximity. This is not a 3,000-square-foot room; it’s a tiny room for all the kids here.”

Pharmacists like Travis Smith suggest that someone should have their T-Dap shot every 8 years at the latest. A complicated part of sorting the cough out is it’s similarity to the flu.

“Its symptoms are very similar to something as common as a cold like a runny nose, mild temperature, or a cough or something like that,” Smith said.

Health officials stress the importance of the vaccination.

While those who got the shot can still become infected, the symptoms are milder.

“Our vaccine rates have been dropping,” Travis said. “I don’t do a lot of T-Dap boosters or shots, and I probably should be. T-Dap vaccines are something we can get our whole lives. We should keep up with that. But we don’t see it a lot. It’s an antibiotic that I try to keep on the shelf anyway. I try to keep a pretty large supply.”

“I think we’re in an environment now where we would urge you to connect with a health care provider earlier than maybe you would otherwise,” Smith said. “There are always some background cases in the community with Pertussis. I don’t think it ever really goes away.”

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