A San Bernardino infant has passed away from whooping cough, otherwise known as pertussis, health officials announced on Tuesday. This is the first confirmed whooping cough death since 2016 in the state of California.
Officials haven’t said the vaccine status of the infant, however, CDPH director, Karen Smith, seemed to focus on pregnant women and vaccines, as well as booster shots.
“This baby’s death is a tragedy for the family and for California as a community, as this is a preventable disease,” she said, via Los Angeles KTLA news.
She said of booster shots and vaccines that they are “the first line of defense.”
“No baby should have to be hospitalized due to a vaccine-preventable disease, and certainly no baby should die,” she continued.
Between 50 and 200 infants per year are hospitalized due to pertussis in the state of California.
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