Whooping cough and the price of vaccine hesitancy

 

The widespread use of diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccines, which protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis had driven whooping cough (pertussis) to the brink of extinction in the US.

“The DTaP vaccine has been a cornerstone of childhood vaccination programs for decades, significantly reducing the incidence of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Pertussis, in particular, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can cause severe, life-threatening complications in young children, especially infants who are too young to be fully vaccinated. Before widespread vaccination, whooping cough epidemics were a regular occurrence, with thousands of deaths reported each year.

 

“Today, the vaccine is highly effective, with studies showing up to 90% effectiveness in preventing severe cases of pertussis in fully vaccinated children. The urgency to address vaccine hesitancy cannot be overstated. The U.S. is returning to pre-pandemic patterns, where more than 10,000 cases of whooping cough are typically reported annually.

“Measures like masking and remote learning likely helped reduce pertussis transmission during the pandemic. However, in 2024, pertussis cases have surged, reflecting a shift back to normal trends. Preliminary CDC data as of mid-September 2024 show five times more cases than the same period in 2023, with numbers now surpassing pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019. This trend is particularly dangerous because pertussis can spread rapidly through communities, especially among those who are not fully vaccinated.”

 

The decline in vaccination and the resulting surge in preventable diseases is fueled by misinformation and distrust in vaccines. An egregious example of fear-inspiring lie is the absurd claim that vaccines can alter human DNA, but misunderstanding about vaccine efficacy, virus transmission and herd immunity has eroded trust. While vaccine hesitancy is not limited to the US, neither are the infectious disease they can prevent or mitigate, as the global COVID pandemic dramatically illustrated. But it is a tragedy that in the third decade of the 21st century, in the richest nation on the planet, people still embrace myths in the face of the overwhelming evidence that vaccines save lives, enhance health and prevent transmission safely.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/112151?xid=nl_secondopinion_2024-09-29&mh=eb71348a5ff6ae370cc6759bc5dc3300

 

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