The Return of Whooping Cough

Explore the resurgence of pertussis in this 41-minute conference talk from the American Society for Microbiology. Examine the increasing infection rates and outbreaks despite high infant immunization, and evaluate recent control strategies focusing on adolescent and adult booster vaccines for herd immunity. Analyze data from the 2010 California outbreak suggesting potential ineffectiveness of boosters after three years. Delve into topics such as the impact on unvaccinated populations, politics of vaccine refusal, vaccine effectiveness, personal belief exemptions, and communication with public health officials. Gain insights from Dr. David Witt of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center as he discusses attack rates, case determination, and addresses questions from the internet, providing a comprehensive overview of the challenges in controlling whooping cough.