There are now 11 confirmed cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, in Surry County, according to Surry County Health and Nutrition Center.

“There has been one more confirmed case, and we are doing testing on several others, but the results have not come back on the others yet,” said Thomas Williams Jr. of Surry County Health and Nutrition Center.

The most recent case of whooping cough was found in an elderly Surry County man. Surry County Health and Nutrition Center could not release any more information on that case.

With 11 cases of whooping cough in Surry County ranging from infants, to school age children, and now the elderly, Surry County Health and Nutrition Center wants everyone to be vigilant.

“We need everyone to be vigilant, Williams said. “If you even suspect it, treat it as such and report it because it is so, so very contagious,” Williams said.

Surry County Health and Nutrition Center has been working to reduce the spread of whooping cough in Surry County by offering free tdap vaccination clinics to Surry County citizens.

“Clinics are being added almost daily. What we’re finding is once those clinics are advertised, people are responding.”

In the past two weeks, Surry County Health and Nutrition Center has given nearly 1200 doses of the tdap vaccination.

“We’re very appreciative of the community responding to this because whooping cough is so very contagious and because it can cause serious illness and even death,” Williams said.

The upcoming clinics are:

Sept. 17, 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at East Surry High School

Sept. 26, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Rainbow Child Care - Fowler Road in Mount Airy

Oct. 1, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Mount Airy Drug

Oct. 19 10 a.m. to noon at SCC Elkin Center

Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to noon at Human Services Building in Mount Airy

Nov. 2 10 a.m. to noon at Pilot Center in Pilot Mountain

For more information on the pertussis vaccine, visit http://immunize.nc.gov/family/vaccines/pertussis.htm.

To host a vaccination clinic at your business, call Surry County Health and Nutrition Center at 401-8410 and ask to speak to Jessica Jessup.

Reach Darcie Dyer at 835-1513 or ddyer@heartlandpublications.com.