Parents: Get a Whooping Cough Vaccine, if Your Infant Can't

1/29/2013 (Updated 11:21:34 PM)

There is a new law requiring hospitals to offer Pertussis-- that is, the Whooping Cough vaccine-- to expectant mothers or caregivers--
 
While it's not required, medical professionals say it's a good idea--since infants themselves cannot receive the vaccine until they are at least six months old:

"Whooping Cough in a new-born can cause sever side effects, up to and including death so we want to avoid that at all costs,l and it's easy to protect the baby if people around the baby get protected, until they do get their first set of shots," said the director of women and children at lourdes, Karen Roeske.
 
Last year, more than 41-thousand cases of pertussis were reported across the U.S.

And there were 18 deaths--  mostly among infants less than three months old.