A Not-So-Perfect Vaccine: The Diphtheria, Tetanus And Acellular Pertussis Vaccine: An Investigation

The Disease

Pertussis or Whooping Cough is an acute infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis.  The disease has been described for centuries; the organism was first isolated in 1906. Whooping cough is transmitted through the respiratory route usually by droplets of secretions.

The incubation period is usually 7 to 14 days but may be as short as 5 days and as long as 21 days. The disease evolves in three phases. Patients are most contagious during the initial catarrhal stage consisting usually of minor cold symptoms and a slight nocturnal cough. During the paroxysmal stage, which may last for several weeks, the patient has the more characteristic coughing spells, which culminate in an inspiratory whoop and are often followed by vomiting. There is usually a marked leucocytosis (increased white count) and lymphocytosis (increased lymphocyte count). In newborns and young infants, whooping cough may present as apnea and cyanotic spells. During the convalescent stage, the paroxysms subside; the patient coughs less and clinical improvement becomes evident.

Subscribe to Red Flags now to gain instant access to the rest of this article. Included with your subscription is the Red Flags news service, which keeps you up to date on breaking news in the mainstream press. Join us today for the inside story on a wide range of pressing health issues and debates including heart disease, diabetes, vaccines and autism, the bird flu, and AIDS.

Click here for current membership subscription rates.

View sample Red Flags articles

Read what others are saying about Red Flags