A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Vanderbilt University suggests that protecting infants from a common, highly contagious and even deadly disease may be as easy as administering a routine vaccine two weeks earlier than it is typically given.

Pertussis (whooping cough) is one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths worldwide, and its prevalence in the community is underestimated.

Even before they enter the classroom this year, students in Virginia will be a step ahead of poor health and disease. Thanks to the vaccinations required for entry into Virginia schools, students are protected against diseases like pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria, among other serious diseases.