Health Advisory: Pertussis (Whooping Cough) cases confirmed on campus

WWU has identified three confirmed cases of pertussis (whooping cough) on campus in the past week. We are sharing this information to help you protect yourself and others, and have already contacted the faculty members and students who may have been exposed so far.

What is Pertussis?

Pertussis is a contagious bacterial respiratory illness that requires close contact with an infected person to spread. Early symptoms look like a cold (runny nose, mild cough, low fever) but can progress to severe coughing fits and difficulty breathing. It can be especially serious for infants, pregnant individuals, immunocompromised people, and older adults. The good news is that people exposed to pertussis cannot pass it to anyone else unless they become sick themselves.

How to Protect Yourself, Campus Community, and your Family:

1. Practice Good Hygiene: Cover coughs/sneezes and wash hands frequently.
2. Monitor for Symptoms: If you experience prolonged coughing fits, difficulty breathing or other pertussis symptoms, contact a healthcare provider for evaluation.
3. Vaccination: The pertussis vaccine (Tdap) is effective at preventing infection and is available at your local pharmacy, doctor's office and at the WWU Student Health Center for any students. If you have not been vaccinated in the last 10 years, we recommend it!
4. Protect your family: If you think you might have symptoms and are returning home to family, please get tested before you go and isolate until your test is clear. Please be especially careful if you have infants, pregnant people or elders in your family.

What to Do if You Are Sick

If you have symptoms concerning for pertussis, please stay home, limit your interactions with others and wear a mask when you are around other people, and contact a healthcare provider for evaluation.

Student Health Center availability:

• Open through March 20
• Closed over spring break
• Reopens March 30
  (Seek care through your provider or urgent care if needed during closure.)

We are working closely with public health officials to monitor this situation and will keep you informed of any important updates. Thank you for helping keep our community healthy.