Local Pharmacies Offer Discounted Whooping Cough Vaccines

As whooping cough cases continue to emerge in King County, several local pharmacies are now offering discounted vaccines to those without health insurance or who are otherwise unable to afford the vaccine, known as Tdap.

According to a news release from King County, a Tdap booster can cost $60-$100. Local pharmacies can charge a fee up to $15.60 to give the vaccine, but people without health insurance can ask for the cost to be waived.

As of May 10, a total of 237 cases have been reported for King County in 2012 compared to 98 cases for all of 2011. Statewide, about 1,280 cases have been reported compared to 110 cases in the same period last year. Washington State Department of Health officials believe the state could see as many as 3,000 cases by year's end.

The King County Health Department is advising all children, teens and adults to make sure their whooping cough vaccination schedule is up to date. The disease can be very serious for young babies, who often get whooping cough from adults and other family members.

According to King County's list, the QFC locations on 161st Avenue Northeast and Novelty Hill Road are the only two Redmond stores currently offering discounted Tdap vaccines. Here is a list of all pharmacies in town with the vaccine (see attached PDF for all the pharmacies in King County):

17667 NE 76th St.

9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday

8867 161st Ave. NE

23475 NE Novelty Hill Road

17220 Redmond Way NE

14880 NE 24th St.

3925 236th Ave. NE