FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A third infant has died from whooping cough in Kentucky within the past 12 months, state health officials announced, marking the commonwealth's worst outbreak of the highly contagious respiratory infection since 2012.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health reported 566 cases of pertussis as of Nov. 19, with health officials expecting additional cases before year's end. The three infant deaths are Kentucky's first whooping cough fatalities since 2018.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of another infant death in Kentucky due to pertussis and are concerned by the volume of cases we are seeing throughout the commonwealth," Dr. Steven Stack said.

Stack, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, urged Kentuckians to get vaccinated against whooping co

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