A 6-year-old boy was the first to die from pertussis in Bacolod City this year.
The boy from Barangay Villamonte died on March 26 but his death was only reported by the City Health Office Monday night, June 10.
There are 16 confirmed pertussis cases in Bacolod City, it also said.
The CHO said pertussis is a vaccine preventable disease that spreads easily from person to person through droplets from coughing and sneezing and is most dangerous in infants causing deaths in this age group.
Completion of pertussis vaccination is strongly encouraged in children under 2 years old. Close contacts of confirmed cases are traced for antibiotic prophylaxis, the CHO said.*