Update: Tenth California infant dies from whooping cough

A tenth infant has died from California’s outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough), a disease that can usually easily be prevented through immunization. But nine of the 10 infants who have died have been under the age of two months of age, too young to normally vaccinate against pertussis. The other death was of a 6-week-old boy who been born prematurely; he had received his first dose of the DTaP vaccine 15 days before the disease’s onset. Health officials say several booster shots are needed to provide protection.

ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan reminds parents to get their kids vaccinated according to the mandated schedule and have their teens and any adults caretakers given a booster shot. This “cocooning strategy” provides newborns with protection because the older people in their vicinity, once vaccinated, will themselves be protected and therefore won’t transfer the disease to the infant.