Benefits Of Pertussis Vaccine Essays Example

Introduction: Prevention is better than cure. The proverb can be most suitably applicable for the vaccination, because the vaccines give us effective protection by working with the body`s natural defence systems to safely develop the immunity to the diseases.

A brief analysis:

The disease: Pertussis or whopping cough is such a vaccine-preventable respiratory illness that caused considerable morbidity before the introduction of vaccination. The bacteria Bordetella pertussis is responsible for the illness, and it is transmitted from the infected person to the other through coughing and sneezing while they are in close contact. ( GREGORY, DAVID S )
Disease prevention and vaccines: Although, the disease can affect a healthy person of any age but, the infants are at great risk of getting pertussis, and the outcome is even fatal, due to severe infection. The DTaP vaccine for infants and Tdap for adolescents and adults protect against three diseases diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. (“Vaccines.”)
Effect : According to the data of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of U.S. the DTaP vaccines for pertussis are very effective, and 80 to 90% of the kids who receive the 5 doses of vaccine on schedule, are fully protected against the disease. ("Pertussis Frequently Asked Questions.")
Facts: Only the immunization prevents the pertussis or reduces the severity of the infection. In U.S. pertussis vaccine greatly reduced the annual morbidity due to the illness, and the estimated annual morbidity rate by pertussis reduced by 93% after the introduction of vaccination.( Herper, Matthew )
In 1974, 80% of the Japanese children were immunized for pertussis, and there were 393 cases of the disease with no pertussis deaths in the entire country. Following a drop in immunization program the bacteria made a comeback, and in 1979, 13000 people again got infected, with 41 cases of death due to pertussis.( "What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations?" )
Conclusion: The pertussis immunization not only gives us an effective support against the illness but, also prevents the morbidity, mortality and control the infection from making a comeback. So, what would happen if we stop vaccination? The answer is very easy; we might face an outbreak of a disease that we presumed to have conquered decades ago.

Works Cited:

GREGORY, DAVID S. "Pertussis: A Disease Affecting All Ages." The American Academy of Family Physicians., 1 Aug. 2006. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0801/p420.html..
Herper, Matthew. "How Vaccines Have Changed Our World In One Graphic." Forbes, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2013/02/19/a-graphic-that-drives-home-how-vaccines-have-changed-our-world/.
"Pertussis Frequently Asked Questions." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/faqs.html.
"Vaccines." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 July 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/prevention/index.html.
"What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations?" Vaccines and Immunizations. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 May 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm.