The family of a four-week-old baby who died from whooping cough say they hope his death will not be in vain, as doctors urge people to vaccinate to protect vulnerable community members.

Riley John Hughes died in Perth's Princess Margaret Hospital of whooping cough on Tuesday.

His family have taken to social media to share their grief and also a desire to help eradicate the disease.

"RIP to my darling little angel Riley, cruelly cut down before his life had an opportunity to start," his father Greg Hughes posted on Facebook.

"Riley passed away peacefully in the arms of his mummy and daddy ... aged just 32 days - a result of pneumonia-based complications arising from whooping cough.

"I'm an absolute shell of a man without my baby boy and I'm truly not sure how I'll cope."

His mother, Catherine, said Riley passed away peacefully in his family's arms after a "tough fight".

"The staff at PMH were amazing and did everything they could to save his little life but the whooping cough was too severe," she wrote.

"RIP Riley. Forever in our hearts."

Plea to vaccinate to protect vulnerable infants

Days before Riley's death, Ms Hughes issued an impassioned plea to other families to consider vaccinating their children against the disease.

"If you haven't been immunised against whooping cough [pertussis], please consider getting it done," she wrote.

"Heartbreaking to watch four-week-old Riley struggle with it at PMH. Please keep him in your thoughts."

The parents of Perth infant Riley Hughes, who died after contracting whooping cough, hope to raise awareness about the disease. ( Supplied )

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is an infection of the respiratory tract.

The infection is particularly serious in infants under six months who are too young to be fully vaccinated.

Riley's was the first whooping cough death in Western Australia since 2011.

From 2008 to 2011 there was one whooping cough death recorded per year.

Riley's family now hoped to raise awareness and change the way the disease was managed in Australia and set up a page dedicated to Riley and this cause.

"We intend on utilising his tragic passing as a means of promoting awareness, honouring our child and hopefully bringing about means of change so that no other family has to undergo the significant anguish our family is currently experiencing at the hands of whooping cough," Ms Hughes said.

Australian Medical Association (AMA) WA president Michael Gannon said the case was a tragic reminder that people needed to get vaccinated against potentially fatal infections.

"We've had a tragic reminder that whooping cough can sneak up on us and take away the life of a precious newborn," he said.

"The arrival of a new baby is a time for great celebration, it's the start of a long life. To have it taken away is a tragedy and I can't imagine how bad the family and their friends must feel."

Dr Gannon said whooping cough was part of the routine vaccination schedule for babies at two months, four months and six months of age, but before that they were vulnerable to infection.

'Small epidemic' brought under control through vaccine program

He said a spate of whooping cough cases five years ago led to the Government implementing a free vaccination program for pregnant women.

"We saw a small epidemic about four or five years ago, and at that time the Government instituted a program of vaccinating new mums," he said.

"Although that is no longer funded it is highly recommended that pregnant women are vaccinated against whooping cough.

"We know from statistics that about half of cases of whooping cough in young children are caught from the parents.

"So it is best practice to give women whooping cough vaccinations, ideally during the pregnancy or immediately after delivery.

"Not only is there potentially the transmission of antibodies through the blood stream or in the breast milk, but just as importantly if mum can't catch whooping cough, she can't pass it on to her baby.

"The best way to protect newborn babies is for older brothers and sisters, mother and fathers and anyone else in the community who might come into contact with them to be vaccinated."

Dr Gannon said it was a tragic reminder of how important it was that "we never take our eye of the ball and get lazy with vaccinations".

"This is a preventable infection, it is preventable with a very safe, proven vaccine - there is no reason not to have it," he said.

"Unfortunately, we need tragic cases like this to remind us how lethal these infections are.

"Most people have never seen polio, most people have never seen tetanus ... these were realities not so long ago."

Health Department says whooping cough 'still common'

Department of Health spokesman Gary Dowse said whooping cough was still common in the community.

"It occurs in all age groups and hence little babies can catch it from their parents, from their grandparents, from their siblings," he said.

"We don't know how this child caught it.

"As I say whooping cough is prevalent in the community and you can catch it anywhere.

"Pertussis is most severe in very young children, under two months and up to six months, who haven't had the opportunity to be fully vaccinated.

"We know those children have a very high rate of hospitalisation and complications including pneumonia, brain damage and death."

Dr Dowse said the Health Department did not currently recommend the vaccine for pregnant women, although information coming through indicated it was safe.

"It is certainly recommended now, people contemplating pregnancy, that they should get vaccinated or immediately after delivery," he said.

The new evidence coming through from Europe is that pertussis vaccine during pregnancy can be safe and also that it is effective in reducing incidence of disease in young children.

"We have to wait for official recommendations from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation - they're the body charged by the Federal Government with setting the policy agenda for vaccination in Australia - we understand there will be some advice from them over the next few months," Dr Dowse said.