FRANKFORT, Ky. (WBKO) - Today, state health officials with the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) announced that two infants have died from pertussis (whooping cough) in Kentucky within the last six months.

Neither the infants nor their mothers had received the recommended immunizations against pertussis during pregnancy or infancy. These are the first pertussis-related deaths in Kentucky since 2018.

Health officials urge all Kentuckians to remain up to date on recommended pertussis immunizations. They also emphasize the importance of maternal immunization during pregnancy and for all infants beginning promptly at 2 months of age.

“Anyone can get whooping cough, but infants are at greatest risk for life-threatening illness,” said KDPH Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack in a release

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