Cases of Whooping Cough on the Rise in the US

It used to be true that whooping cough, polio, leprosy, measles, tuberculosis, and other diseases had been somewhat eradicated in the United States primarily because of vaccinations. However, with some of the current fears about vaccinations possibly causing other problems - such as autism, developmental delays, and in rare cases, death - parents are now foregoing the vaccines.

The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that the resurgence of whooping cough and other antiquated infections is because of the influx of illegal immigrants. Dr. Madeleine Cosman, a medical lawyer, says that "certain diseases that we thought we had vanquished years ago are coming back, and other diseases that we've never seen or rarely seen in America, because they've always been the diseases of poverty and the third world, are coming in now," she said. She has written a fascinating article, "The Seen and Unseen," that addresses healthcare in America as well as the problem that illegal aliens are now presenting to the US healthcare system.

Whooping cough is an infection of the lungs caused by the pertussis bacteria. A runny nose, mild cough, sneezing and a low-grade fever are symptoms of the Whooping cough. After about 2 weeks, the cough leads to coughing spells. When trying to get a breath, the cough sounds like a whooping noise. Prior to the creation of the vaccine, the disease caused the deaths of 5,000-10,000 people every year. Currently, the death rate is less than 30. However, in the past few years the numbers attributed to deaths, as well as diagnoses of pertussis, have started to rise.

The number of cases reported recently has been at the highest level since the 1950’s with over 25,000 people being affected. The bacteria attacks those with weakened immune systems - primarily infants and those adolescents and adults that have not had booster shots. The CDC recommends that children get a D-Tap vaccine, which is a combination vaccine that helps to prevent diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. This vaccine should be administered at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, another at 15 months, and one when children enter pre-school or school (age 4-6) and when they enter middle school (age 11-12). Adults need to have a booster shot every 10 years.

It is important to remain vigilant about getting children vaccinated as well as adults staying current on their booster shots. The likelihood of getting a preventable disease is a lot higher now than having serious side effects from the vaccine. Talk with your pediatrician or family physician about your concerns and decide for yourself what you need to do for your well-being as well as the health of your child.