Originally Posted by
3incollege
They never had immunizations for that, untill recently
In the 1940s, the pertussis vaccine, combined with
diphtheria and
tetanus toxoids (DTP), was introduced. By 1976, the incidence of whooping cough in the U.S. had decreased by over 99%. During the 1980s, however, the incidence of whooping cough began to increase and has risen steadily, with epidemics typically occurring every three to five years in the U.S. In the epidemic of 2005, 25,616 cases were reported according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). In 2008, over 13,000 cases of whooping cough were reported in the U.S., resulting in 18 deaths. In 2010, which included an epidemic in California (see below), 27,550 cases of pertussis were reported nationwide.
In 2010, a pertussis epidemic was declared in California. This outbreak included 9,143 cases of pertussis (including 10 infant deaths) throughout California. This was the highest number of cases reported in an outbreak since 1947. In the previous epidemic of 2005, California recorded 3,182 cases and eight deaths.
That vaccine has been around quite a while. I had whooping cough as a child, and it is no party, believe me.