Newborn Baby Dies from Whooping Cough in King County - NBC Right Now/KNDO/KNDU Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA |

SEATTLE, Wash., - The Seattle-King County health department says a newborn baby died last week of whooping cough.

The department is withholding most details about the Thursday's death for the family's privacy, but the department says it's a reminder that mothers and family members should be immunized to protect babies from pertussis.

The state Health Department says it's the first pertussis death in Washington since August 2011. There have been more than 4,600 cases of the disease in Washington through Dec. 15th.