Pertussis Deaths Were More Than 7,000 Percent Higher Just as We Got the DPT Vaccine!
The Real Truth About Vaccines
Why do some people think that the pertussis vaccine has been a big failure?
They are listening to the usual suspects…
Pertussis Deaths Were More Than 7,000 Percent Higher Just as We Got the DPT Vaccine!
Instead of listening to these kinds of anti-vaccine influencers, to really understand how well the pertussis vaccine is working, everyone should understand that:
pertussis deaths were more than 7,000 percent higher just as we got the DPT vaccine
pertussis deaths have fallen by about 98.6% since we got the DPT vaccine
for every pertussis death last year, there were about 70 in 1950, around the time we got the DPT vaccine
And while pertussis isn’t gone, the 28,783 cases and 16 deaths last year (2025) are much lower than we used to have in the pre-vaccine era.
In 1950, we had 120,718 cases of pertussis in the United States and 1,118 deaths.
So much for the idea of a pertussis vaccine failure!
Sure, the pertussis vaccine isn’t perfect, but it works well to protect against severe cases of pertussis and death.
At least it does when we get vaccinated and protected.
More on Pertussis Deaths
Measles Deaths Were More Than 22,000 Percent Higher Just Before We Got a Measles Vaccine!
Can Vaccinated Children Be Asymptomatic Carriers of Pertussis?
Does Getting the DTaP Vaccine Make You More Susceptible to Pertussis?
Is Your Risk of Death from the Pertussis Vaccine Higher Than from the Disease?
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