The Pertussis Outbreak and the Impact of Vaccination
Aug 06, 2012

There has been a great deal of coverage regarding the current pertussis outbreaks we are seeing all across the country. In the past few weeks we have seen countless articles which have attempted to explain the challenges that may be contributing to these outbreaks. The issues are pretty diverse and include such concerns as the effectiveness of the current vaccine, waning immunity among the vaccinated which suggests a need for booster shots, as well as the concern that infants are most susceptible before they have received their full five dose series of the vaccine.
Unfortunately, for every article that attempts to explain the multiple challenges we face in trying to reduce the transmission of pertussis, there are some people who continue to suggest things that are simply inaccurate. They often claim that people are actually contracting the disease from the vaccine, or that the rise in pertussis cases is a result of vaccine shedding. Essentially this means that they believe that the people who are getting vaccinated are actually responsible for spreading the disease.
It can be upsetting and frightening for parents to hear this – which is exactly why vaccine critics repeat this misinformation every opportunity they get.
Well, thanks to this recent blog post from Just The Vax, parents no longer have to wonder. After reading this simple explination, they will understand – with 100% certainty – that the vaccine could not possibly cause a case of pertussis.
Containing pertussis is certainly a challenge, but the fact of the matter is that if we want to contain this highly contagious disease, then vaccination is the best chance we have. Just read these stories from parents whose children never had the chance. Then perhaps we can remember who we are helping to protect when we, as adults, receive our Tdap boosters.

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