Whooping Cough: Vaccination, Prevention, and Risk
This paper examines pertussis (whooping cough), a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable respiratory illness. It discusses how adults often unknowingly carry and transmit the bacteria to vulnerable infants, the waning effectiveness of childhood vaccinations over time, and the differences between vaccine formulations for various age groups. The paper also addresses recent outbreaks linked to changes in vaccine ingredients, identifies the most at-risk populations — particularly infants under three months and adolescents — and outlines preventive strategies including timely booster shots, hygiene practices, and community-level vaccination programs. The paper concludes with a call for mandatory or expanded vaccination outreach to reduce future outbreaks.
- Introduction: The Threat of Pertussis: Adults spread pertussis unknowingly; vaccines wane
- Vaccine Effectiveness and Changing Formulations: Ingredient changes reduced vaccine effectiveness over time
- Vulnerable Populations and Outbreak Trends: Infants and adolescents face highest pertussis risk
- Hygiene Practices and Preventive Measures: Hand washing and cocoon strategy reduce transmission
- Community Responsibility and Conclusion: Mandatory vaccination and outreach can prevent outbreaks
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What makes this paper effective
- Uses specific, credible sources (CDC, peer-reviewed science reporting) to support each major claim, lending authority to its public health argument.
- Logically sequences the argument from disease background → vaccine science → at-risk groups → prevention → community action, creating a coherent persuasive flow.
- Balances scientific detail (e.g., acellular vs. cellular vaccine distinctions, third-trimester timing) with accessible language suitable for a general audience.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of evidence-based argumentation in a public health context. Each claim — such as the waning of adult immunity and the link between vaccine ingredient changes and rising incidence — is paired with a cited source, showing how to integrate factual evidence to build a persuasive case for a policy recommendation (mandatory vaccination programs).
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introduction establishing the disease threat and adult carrier problem, then moves through vaccine science, vulnerable populations, and hygiene, before closing with a community-level call to action. Each paragraph addresses one focused subtopic, keeping the argument progressing clearly from problem identification to proposed solutions.
Introduction: The Threat of Pertussis
Pertussis, commonly called whooping cough, is a highly contagious illness that can be prevented with vaccinations. Often, adults are unwitting carriers of the disease, unknowingly spreading it to their family members. In the majority (80%) of pertussis cases in infants, a parent or other close family member was the disease carrier (Pertussis Videos). Many adults may be unaware they are carrying the pertussis bacteria, and may mistakenly believe they are immune because they once received a vaccination. However, the vaccination some adults received in their youth wanes after as little as five to ten years, which is why it is critical for adults to update their vaccinations (Pertussis Videos). An adult pertussis vaccination is widely available, and all parents should consider receiving it to prevent the spread of this potentially fatal disease.
Vaccine Effectiveness and Changing Formulations
In spite of vaccination enhancements, incidences of pertussis have been rising. Recent outbreaks have been linked to changes in vaccine ingredients, leading to less effective protection (Geggel, 2015). Ingredients were changed to reduce side effects associated with the whole-cell vaccine, but effectiveness was reduced by a significant amount (Geggel, 2015). Still, the current vaccination provides sufficient protection in most cases. There are also separate vaccines available for different age groups, allowing families to maximize their protection. Typically, children from two months of age to six years receive the acellular, milder version, whereas all persons over the age of 11 — including pregnant women — are eligible for the stronger cellular version of the vaccination, which contains the entire pertussis organism (CDC, 2015). Vaccinations for tetanus and diphtheria are typically included in the same shot.
Vulnerable Populations and Outbreak Trends
The most vulnerable populations are infants under the age of three months, who are at the greatest risk of dying from the disease. Pregnant women can receive a special type of the vaccine to minimize the chances of their baby contracting pertussis. Typically, the vaccination is given during the third trimester (Pertussis Outbreak Trends). Incidence rates are highest among infants, but there is another spike among adolescents aged 13 to 15 (Pertussis Outbreak Trends). Secondary outbreaks have impacted different populations, likely due to the changing nature of vaccinations and their differences among age cohorts (Geggel, 2015). If a family member is suspected of having the disease, antibiotics may be administered to some household members as a preventative measure (CDC, 2015). Symptoms include a characteristic sounding cough, but initial symptoms closely resemble those of the common cold, and thus some parents may be unaware that they or someone in their family actually has pertussis. Unlike the common cold, however, the symptoms of whooping cough may worsen over the following few weeks.
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