Whooping cough or pertussis was one of those childhood illnesses that was banished by the use of vaccination. Then people began to question the use of vaccines, and began to relate unusual medical conditions and behaviors in their children to vaccines. The media publicized these doubts and the rate of vaccination began to drop for many illnesses including whooping cough.
Nationally, the rate of new cases reached historic lows around 1980. It then began to increase and according to the Centers for Disease Control reached a rate of 3.49 new cases per 100,000 of population in 2007.
In New York State, the number of reported cases has varied. For the period 1999 to 2008 in New York State outside of the City, the NYS Health Department reports a low of 175 cases in 2001 and a high of 1,969 cases in 2004. It calculates to an average of 780 cases per year.
New York is a state that requires immunization against pertussis in order to enroll in a public school. Many summer camps and other extracurricular activities also require proof of immunizations. The state provides for two types of exemptions, medical and religious. Medical exemptions are provided by a physician when there are contraindications in the student's medical history preventing immunization. A religious exemption is a statement from the student's parents that they “object to their child's immunization due to sincere and genuine religious beliefs which prohibit the immunization of their child”. The school may require additional documentation of these beliefs and it has the option to refuse to accept this type of exemption from immunization.
The pertussis vaccine is usually administered with one or more other vaccines, and is commonly known as DTP, for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis. It confers an immunity that decreases over time so older children and adults should consult their physicians about any need for a booster shot.
The media and concerned parents have often raised questions about immunizations including that for whooping cough and a relationship to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The CDC website cites several studies on this topic and no relationship has been found.
California is current experiencing a sudden increase in cases of whooping cough. According to the Los Angeles Times, cases are up 50% in the first four months of 2010 from 2009. Their story says that four newborns have died of the illness this year.
A 2006 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association entitled Nonmedical Exemptions to School Immunization Requirements reported that in states granting exemption for personal belief, cases of pertussis were more common.
It is clear from all of the statistics that increased immunizations for whooping cough reduce the number of cases of this deadly illness. It is also clear that adult immunization for pertussis is a necessary measure in the prevention program.
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