Downtown market will feature whooping cough vaccinations

<p>Sonoma County public health officials have scheduled three free whooping cough vaccination clinics during the Santa Rosa Downtown Market, beginning Wednesday.</p><p>The clinic will offer the Tdap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough).</p><p>Last week, Sonoma County Health Officer Mary Maddux-González urged local residents to get vaccinated against whooping cough, a disease that causes prolonged coughing attacks that can be fatal to infants. Local health officials said whooping cough has risen to epidemic levels in Sonoma County and the state. </p><p>As of June 15 there were 48 confirmed cases in Sonoma County, four times last year's level. California had 910 recorded cases, with 5 deaths, also more than four times the number of cases reported last year.</p><p>All five deaths were Latino children under 3 months of age. </p><p>In addition to Wednesday evening, the clinic dates are July 14 and July 28, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.</p>