The number of cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, now stands at 10 in Mariposa County. Mariposa County Public Health Officer Dr. Charles Mosher said his department continues to work to identify the cases and get people immunized.

Mosher said there are also three more suspected cases that are waiting for lab confirmation. Of the ten cases, six to eight are in youth ages 10 to 18. “A fair number of cases are related,” Mosher said, explaining that three or four are among high school students working in Yosemite National Park. Another three are affecting members of the same youth baseball team in town.

Although the majority of cases are affecting older children, Mosher is still concerned about infants, who can die from the disease. “That’s why we’re targeting families,” Mosher said of the vaccination process. The health department has now set aside Fridays to deal with pertussis vaccination exclusively.

California does not require a pertussis booster before middle school as most other states do. Mosher said he is working with Mariposa County Unified School District Superintendent Aaron Rosander to mitigate problems when school starts in three weeks.

“We’re doing what we can,” he said. “But we can’t control everything.” Mosher stressed the importance of parents keeping sick kids home once school starts.