A 5-week-old baby boy sent to Children’s Hospital in Seattle on Aug. 2 for complications from whooping cough was discharged early Thursday afternoon.

This had been the first case of a child hospitalized in Island County for pertussis since the outbreak began in early June, affecting 74 people, mostly in the 11 to 12-year-old age group.

The day before being sent to the hospital, the baby exhibited increased coughing, was having a hard time breathing and was turning blue from lack of oxygen, said Freeland pediatrician Robert

Wagner.

“This baby is in our risk population,” Wagner said. “Though the incidence of new cases seems to be decreasing, parents of very young children need to be watchful.”

Wagner said the problem has been compounded by the relatively high number of new births in Island County this summer.

Wagner has been working with public school districts and Island County health officials on a plan to make sure children are protected by the time South Whidbey schools open Sept. 4.

Washington state requires that children who haven’t received the appropriate vaccines must stay out of school, preschool and daycare for a set period of time, depending on the disease.

The Island County Health Department will make sure that will happen, officials said.

“Regarding the upcoming school session, I intend to follow the protocol that has existed for quite some time regarding communicable diseases showing up during school sessions,” said Island County Health Officer Roger Case. “Symptomatic children will stay home for the duration of their illness, as will those ‘exempted’ from having to be immunized as long as the outbreak

continues,” he said.

All cases of whooping cough should be reported to the Island County Health Department immediately at 360-679-7350.