Whooping Cough

Pertussis is a contagious bacterial disease better known as Whooping Cough - the symptoms of the disease are perhaps the most self-explanatory in the book. According to the CDC, Whooping Cough infected around 200,000 and killed 9,000 a year before vaccines became available. The lethal disease killed 4-5% of children unfortunate to have caught it back then an globally the disease persists today at a less lethal rate of 1% of the infected dying. The WHO puts the figures at 16 million cases and 195,000 deaths (as of 2008 estimates).

Plotting US population in blue on the right axis and number of pertussis cases in red on the left axis:

Evidently since the 1980s a rise in pertussis is underway in the US, with a more pronounced increase since 2003. This should make the case for more diligence to attaining full vaccine coverage in the US, especially considering the fact the vaccine is 80-90% effective (per CDC). Outbreaks are going to happen, but only immunization can prevent the explosion of sickness and death not seen in 60 years.