A third unvaccinated infant in Kentucky has died of pertussis as public health officials urge Kentuckians to get vaccinated against the highly contagious disease also known as whooping cough.
Kentucky’s three infant deaths from whooping cough over the past 12 months are the state’s first reported since 2018. None of the infants or their mothers had been vaccinated against the respiratory disease, the Kentucky Department of Public Health confirmed.
Kentucky is in the midst of its largest pertussis spike since 2012, according to a Monday news release from the state that says the disease has increased nationwide as vaccination rates decline.
