Following an unusually high number of whooping cough cases this year, Vancouver Coastal Health is offering free vaccinations to those most at risk in order to prevent young children from contracting the illness.
Pregnant women, their partners and people who have been in contact with children under 18 months can receive the whooping cough vaccine free through doctors' offices, public health clinics and some pharmacies, Vancouver Coastal Health spokesperson Tiffany Akins said in a release.
Since Jan. 1, the health authority says there have been 38 confirmed cases in the region, which is three times the regular number for this time of year. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, causes coughing fits, can last for months and is easily spread through the air. In young infants it can be fatal.
