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Whooping Cough Alert On Long Island

WEST ISLIP, NY (WCBS 880) - An alert has been issued after a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip was diagnosed with whooping cough.

LISTEN: WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reports

Hospital officials say the nurse works in the maternity ward and has completed antibiotic treatment.

The hospital notified patients, families, and employees that may have come in contact with the nurse.

The New York State Health Department's Pete Constantakes says getting the vaccine is the best way to prevent the disease.

"Young infants, lots of times they haven't receive the full series of vaccinations or any... if they're newborn," Constantakes tells WCBS 880 reporter Sophia Hall. "In this case, we're still looking to see what happened, whether it was a big risk. And, again, we will take any sanctions we need to, to make sure this doesn't happen in the future."

Whooping cough, also known as purtussis, causes violent and uncontrollable coughing.

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