WASHINGTON STATE (Metro) -- State health officials say more Washingtonians are receiving inoculation against pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
No deaths have been reported from the highly infectious disease, but officials say Washington has confirmed nearly 1500r cases of it so far this year.
The Washington Department of Health says it has distributed more than 20,000 pertussis vaccinations throughout the state to health-care providers since January 1.
State Secretary of Health Mary Selecky declared a whooping cough epidemic in early April, and Governor Gregoire recently announced the state will spend $90,000 and divert some federal funding to pay for 27,000 doses of the vaccine.
