Pertussis (whooping cough) incidence increases in cyclical patterns driven by waning immunity, and high vaccination coverage combined with good communication can mitigate outbreak size and severe outcomes among children who cannot be vaccinated.
October 01, 2025
high
temporal
Describes typical transmission dynamics of pertussis and the mitigating role of vaccination coverage and communication.
Children are recommended to receive a series of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccinations starting at 2 months of age, and adolescents and adults are recommended to receive a Tdap booster every 10 years; both DTaP and Tdap target diphtheria and tetanus in addition to pertussis.
October 01, 2025
high
temporal
Routine immunization schedule and vaccine targets for pertussis prevention.
The United States switched in the 1990s from whole-cell pertussis vaccines to acellular pertussis vaccines; acellular vaccines cause fewer side effects but generally provide shorter-lasting immunity than whole-cell vaccines.
January 01, 1990
high
temporal
Vaccine formulation change and trade-off between side effects and duration of protection.