Why do we vaccinate against pertussis (also called “whooping cough”)?
Pertussis is a bacterial respiratory illness characterized by severe spasms of coughing that can last for several weeks or even for months. Pertussis is usually spread from person-to-person through close contact with respiratory droplets released when a person coughs or sneezes. Before the introduction of vaccination in the 1940s, pertussis was a major cause of serious illness and death among infants and young children in the United States.
