Health Officer Update: Pertussis, measles, and firearm injuries

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Dr. Herbie Duber is the health officer for Kitsap Public Health District. In addition to his work in public health, Dr. Duber serves as a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington and is an attending physician at UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Special event: Dr. Duber will be at the Martin Luther King library on May 15 from 10-11 a.m. Stop by to ask questions, chat about public health, or just say hi!

Coffee & Conversation with Dr. Duber

May 15, 2026, 10:00 – 11:00 AMKitsap Regional Library - MLK Branch

Hello and welcome to my May Health Officer Update.

This month, I will focus on a local uptick in pertussis cases, the latest updates on measles in Washington, and my perspective on gun violence as a leading public health concern.

Pertussis (whooping cough) in Kitsap County

Pertussis — also known as whooping cough — is spreading in Kitsap this spring.

Our Communicable Disease team recently responded to a cluster of cases connected to two North Kitsap schools, and we continue to see new cases reported.

Pertussis is not uncommon — hundreds of cases are reported in Washington each year. Still, we keep a close eye on the disease because it can cause serious illness for people who are at higher risk. Infants are especially vulnerable to pertussis. Babies who get pertussis may struggle to breathe, and many need treatment in a hospital.

Pertussis is a respiratory illness caused by bacteria. It spreads easily through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Pertussis symptoms are similar to a cold, but some people develop a severe cough that can last for weeks.

Staying up to date on vaccines is the best way to protect yourself and your family from whooping cough. Pertussis vaccines are recommended for all ages.

Measles updates

Last week, the Washington state Department of Health shared information about recent measles cases. In 2026, there have been 43 reported cases of measles in Washington. In three of these cases, health officials could not determine how the patient was exposed to measles. This may mean that measles is spreading undetected in the state.

There have been no measles cases reported in Kitsap County.

I encourage you to check your family’s vaccination records to make sure you have been vaccinated against measles. The measles vaccine is safe and extremely effective. If you have questions, talk to your healthcare provider or call our immunization team at 360-728-2007.

Firearm injuries

Hardly a day goes by without a national or local news story about gun violence.

In more than 20 years as an emergency department physician, I have personally witnessed the devastation and heartbreak behind the headlines. Many factors can go into firearm injuries, including mental health conditions, substance use, access to education, social and family support, and a host of other factors. We also can’t ignore how widely available and lethal firearms are.

Nationwide, more than 44,000 people died of gun-related injuries in 2024, including 27 in Kitsap County. This was the fifth-highest number of gun related deaths ever recorded in our country.

More than half of all suicides involve a firearm.
Three out of four homicides involve a firearm.
Firearms are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 19.

But there is hope. Gun-related injuries and deaths have declined since 2022. Homicides have fallen since 2021.

Engaging community

In public health, we focus on things that keep people safe and healthy. From the water we drink, the air we breathe, the medications we take, and the things we put in our body, we all want a healthy and safe environment for ourselves, our families, and communities. So, what are the ways we can help reduce the risk of harm from firearms?

Our Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention program manager, Dana Bierman, attended the Bremerton Gun & Knife Show on April 18. Dana arrived with 45 gun safes and 22 trigger locks — proven tools that gun owners can use to secure firearms in their home. By early afternoon, she had given them all away.

Dana told me it was one of the most positive experiences she has ever had doing community outreach. The level of interest and engagement she had at her booth was remarkable and a reminder that public health needs to show up more often in these spaces.

Learn more and keep in touch

You can watch my full report to the Kitsap Public Health Board by clicking on the video below or on Vimeo. You can read past Health Officer Updates on our blog.

https://vimeo.com/1189525779