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Kitsap health officer briefs board on pertussis cluster, measles alert and youth survey trends
Summary
Health Officer Herbie Dubert told the board the district is tracking a small pertussis cluster centered in two North Kitsap schools (seven suspected cases) and noted a statewide measles increase (about 40 cases in Washington, none in Kitsap). He also previewed 2025 Healthy Youth Survey highlights including slight improvements in anxiety and depressive indicators and modest declines in recent substance use.
Kitsap Public Health District Health Officer Herbie Dubert told the board on May 5 that the district issued a healthcare advisory after detecting a small pertussis cluster this spring. "We have seen a total of 7 suspected pertussis cases in this most recent cluster," Dubert said, adding that the cluster is primarily centered around two North Kitsap schools and that infants and people with underlying lung disease remain the highest risk.
Dubert also said the Washington State Department of Health recently issued an alert about rising measles cases and possible undetected community spread. "Now we are up to about 40 cases in Washington State in 2026," he said, stressing none of those cases were in Kitsap County but urging vigilance and reminding the board that measles vaccination is highly effective.
On youth health, Dubert previewed the 2025 Healthy Youth Survey results for 10th graders: 79 percent reported often trying their best in school, about 29 percent reported feeling anxious (slightly down from 31 percent in 2023), nearly 26 percent reported depressive feelings (down from about 30 percent), and recent 30-day substance-use rates (cannabis 6 percent, alcohol 7 percent, vaping about 6 percent) were modestly lower than in 2023. Dubert said a fuller presentation will follow at a future meeting.
Board members asked whether district youth-prevention programs include newer products such as kratom; Dubert said he would bring back more information and that state-level action is likely to be discussed in the next legislative session.
Next steps: KPHD will monitor pertussis and measles trends, coordinate as needed with the Department of Health, and schedule a dedicated presentation on the Healthy Youth Survey at a future board meeting.
