Oregon Public Broadcasting

Whooping cough is hitting Idaho hard. Seventy-seven cases of pertussis have been reported, about twice the average.

Cynthia Taggart from the Panhandle Health District says there's no particular reason for the outbreak. She says the illness tends to go in cycles.

She says the best way to prevent the disease is through immunization. Children get a series of shots through infancy. But Taggart says kids become more vulnerable as they age.

Cynthia Taggart: "Kids 11 and 12 need their booster. They need to be revaccinated, even kids who have been vaccinated for pertussis. But it wears off over time. And, you know, a lot of parents aren't aware of that."

Health officials like Taggart also encourage adults who have contact with children to get a special pertussis booster.

California public health officials say their state is enduring its worst pertussis outbreak in 50 years. Six infants have died from the disease.