Seventh Infant Death Related to Whooping Cough Hits California

The seventh infant death related to the whooping cough epidemic in California has been reported this morning. Officials for the San Diego health department have stated that a one month old baby boy has fallen victim to the disease.

The baby died this past Tuesday at the Children’s Hospital in San Diego. It is the first whooping cough death in that county in nine years.

As of July 15, 1500 confirmed cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in California. Officials fear that the true numbers could be three times or more of people affected. Many people, due to financial reasons or because the symptoms were mild, do not go to the doctor with this disease.

Infants are inoculated against the disease, but the effectiveness of the immunization wears off as people age. California’s health department is encouraging everyone to get a booster shot immediately.

Whooping cough is much like the flu. However, after about two weeks the coughing can become so severe it sounds like the person is “whooping” when they cough.

The disease started in and around the migrant workers camps this year. Foreign born workers are not required to be immunized for the disease in their country or when they enter this one. It is believed the disease came across the border this year and has rapidly spread throughout the state.