CDC Panel: All Pregnant Women Should Get Whooping Cough Shot

Our take: Currently, 16 people have died from whooping cough, with 32,000 cases reported. Most of the deaths were infants, according to Steven Reinberg, journalist for HeathDay. Reinberg's report on U.S. News explains why a CDC panel is urging pregnant women to get the whopping cough shot:

"All pregnant women should be vaccinated against pertussis, also known as whooping cough, preferably in their last trimester, a panel of U.S. advisers recommended Wednesday.

Getting vaccinated during pregnancy means a mother can pass immunity to whooping cough to her baby, the U.S. government panel explained. Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial disease that attacks the respiratory system.

Read more about Pregnant women urged to get whooping cough shot on U.S. News.