Christopher Gill, an associate professor of global health at Boston University School of Public Health, compares the struggle of infants trying to breathe during a bout of whooping cough to the sensation of being waterboarded. While the disease is distressing but temporary in adults, it can have devastating consequences for babies. Whooping cough, caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria, was almost eliminated in the US through widespread vaccinations. However, it has been making a comeback in the past two decades, with over 15,000 cases reported in 2016. Gill and other experts believe that the current vaccine may not be as effective as initially believed. The switch to an "acellular" vaccine in the mid-1990s, which contains only specific components of the bacteria, may be the reason behind the resurgence of whooping cough cases. Gill and his colleagues suggest that while the vaccine can prevent symptoms, it may not fully protect against pertussis infection.
Further Reading:
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2018/whooping-cough-on-the-rise/
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