2012 Was The Worst Year For Whooping Cough In 6 Decades — Just Sayin’

shutterstock_122075773When I reflect back on the year of 2012 (as well as the year 2011), I recall a lot of vaccine conversations. If it wasn’t pediatricians threatening to “fire” families for refusing to comply with vaccination recommendations than families in Oregon were creating their own “alternative” vaccination schedules. No wonder vaccines rank high among the top 10 parenting controversies of 2012.

Well don’t look now, but 2012 was officially America’s worst year for whooping cough in almost six decades.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still “gathering information” on the uptick, with 42,000 cases reported in 2012. Yet, heath officials believe that number could end up being as high as 50,000, which is the most cases since 1955. Guys, that’s back when Dwight D Eisenhower was in office!

NBC reports that whooping cough tends to occur in “multi-year cycles” with last year exhibiting a very particular peak. Add to that that some new versions of the whooping cough vaccine aren’t all that effective, and you have quite the health concern.

All in all though, deaths from whopping cough were down. Only 18 in total. Some heath officials speculate that trusty doctors were quick to diagnose and treat patients during certain outbreaks. No fingers necessarily pointed at the anti-vaccine crowd this time around.

(photo: PhotographyByMK / Shutterstock)

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