PSA's Urge Parents To Get Older Students Vaccinated For Whooping Cough

LOS ANGELES (AP) — As the peak of whooping cough season and the school year approach, California public health officials are pushing parents to get middle and high school students vaccinated against the highly infectious illness.

State Department of Public Health officials released public service announcements in English and Spanish this week to tell parents their children must get vaccines before they are allowed into classrooms.

A law requiring the shots went into effect July 1, and was passed after a record epidemic of more than 9,000 cases hit California and killed 10 infants last year.

However, last week legislators in both houses approved emergency legislation to give schools a reprieve from the requirement, allowing them to conditionally admit students for up to 30 days.

»RELATED STORY: LAUSD Asks For Reprieve From Whooping Cough Mandate

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