Whooping Cough Exposure Reported at Chief Sealth International High School in West Seattle
Favour Bitrus
June 10, 2026
Picture Credit: Jievani Weerasinghe
Public health officials are warning that students and staff at Chief Sealth International High School in West Seattle may have been exposed to whooping cough after a student attended classes while contagious with the highly infectious disease last week.
According to Public Health Seattle and King County, the exposure window runs from Monday, 1 June through Wednesday, 3 June. Anyone who was present at the school during those dates should monitor closely for symptoms, which typically appear seven to ten days after exposure but can take up to three weeks to develop.
Whooping cough often begins with symptoms that closely resemble a common cold, including a low-grade fever, runny nose, scratchy throat, and a mild dry cough. Within one to two weeks, the illness can intensify significantly, producing severe and persistent coughing spells that are difficult to control. The disease spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes and is particularly dangerous for infants, young children, and those with compromised immune systems.
Health officials are advising any student or staff member who develops a cough to stay home from school, avoid close contact with others, and seek evaluation from a doctor or clinic before going in. Anyone planning to visit a healthcare facility should call ahead to allow staff to prepare appropriate precautions.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, and early treatment significantly reduces the severity of the illness. Vaccination remains the most effective means of prevention, according to the CDC.
Whooping cough remains a persistent presence across Washington state, with between 184 and 1,026 cases reported annually. Health officials note that because the disease frequently mimics a common cold in its early stages, only an estimated one in ten actual cases is ever officially reported.
