Rising whooping cough cases are another example of why vaccines matter

Vaccines are not foolproof against various illnesses. But they are the best line of defense — a message that seems to have fallen on many deaf ears.

While most adults in the U.S. reported they were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in 2021, only 28% got a jab of what was the latest vaccine in the spring, according to a Pew Research Center survey in March.

That same month, health officials warned the outbreak of dozens of cases of measles across the country, including here in Illinois, was likely due to vaccination hesitancy and fatigue.

Now the numbers of cases for whooping cough, which is especially dangerous for newborn babies, have flared up likely for the same reason. Cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, in the U.S. increased fourfold over last year, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, preliminary cases reported so far in 2024 are the highest since 2014.

Here in Illinois, by Sept. 21, there were 1,058 reported cases of whooping cough this year, CDC data shows. There were only 230 cases of the contagious disease documented during the same period last year, the Sun-Times' Kaitlin Washburn reported this week.

DTaP, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, is given to children at 2 months, and several boosters are given afterward. Pregnant patients are also told to get Tdap, a similar vaccine given to older children and adults, for short-term protection for their infants. All adults are recommended to get the Tdap booster every decade.

But clearly too many are blowing off the shots, and too many guardians are not heeding the advice to keep their children healthy.

"One big reason rates go up is when vaccination rates go down," Dr. David Nguyen, an internal medicine physician at Rush University Medical Center, told Washburn.

Whooping cough was a leading cause of childhood illness and death in the country before a vaccine was introduced in the 1940s.

Once the vaccine came into the play, the number of cases shrank from more than 1 million from 1940 to 1945, to less than 3,000 a year by the 1970s, according to the American Lung Association.

Vaccines have been effective in the past, and they are effective now. Sadly, ignoring science has gotten just as contagious as the conditions that are making us sick.

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