Vaccination program credited in fight against whooping cough [View all]

[HuckleB]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-whooping-cough-20120125,0,5035953.story

"Facing an epidemic of whooping cough that led to the deaths of 10 infants in 2010, California public health officials launched a massive vaccination effort and public awareness campaign about the disease.

And on Tuesday, they announced the payoff: no deaths in 2011, a first in two decades. The number of whooping cough, or pertussis, cases also plummeted from about 9,154 in 2010 to 2,795 in 2011, according to the California Department of Public Health.

In Los Angeles County, the number of cases dropped from 1,395 in 2010 to 520 in 2011. Four of the deaths in the state occurred locally.

"Controlling an outbreak is huge," said Dr. Gil Chavez, deputy director of infectious diseases for the state. "It really happens in a partnership."

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FYI.