Infant Dies From Whooping Cough In Placer County
PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) – A Placer County infant has died due to whooping cough, health officials announced Wednesday.
The exact age of the infant and where it lived has not been disclosed, but the Placer County Department of Health and Human Services is saying that the infant was less than six months of age.
Officials note that most victims who die of whooping cough are less than six months old.
"It is a terrible tragedy for both the family and our community when a baby dies," said Dr. Robert Oldham, the Public Health Officer for Placer County, in a statement.
Vaccinations for pregnant women can help prevent the spread of whooping cough, officials note. Infants then need to be vaccinated against whooping cough as soon as possible to help build up more of a barrier against the disease.
The infant's death is the first death in Placer County from whooping cough in the past several years, officials say. It is the second death from whooping cough statewide this year.