Whooping-cough shot required

The number of whooping-cough cases so far this year has surpassed the number of cases reported by this time in 2009 and 2010, reminding public-health officials that a new California law requiring adolescents to get vaccinated for the disease was created for good reason, according to a California Department of Public Health press release.

As of July 1, children in grades seven to 12 will be required to get a booster shot (called a “Tdap”) for whooping cough—a highly contagious bacterial disease also known as pertussis that can cause severe coughing lasting for months—before attending school in the fall.

More than 1,000 Californians have been infected this year so far, according to the Los Angeles Times. Last year, the state experienced a record-high number of incidents of the illness, including 10 infant deaths. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/coughinfo.