Whooping cough is caused by a bacteria and spread by coughing or sneezing. Patients are often seized by fits of coughing, which can make a characteristic “whooping” sound.
In the United States, the prevalence of the disease dropped after a vaccine became available in the 1940s. But recently, it has been on the rise again, with reported cases increasing sixfold between 2000 and 2012, the CDC reports.
That uptick coincides with a change in the vaccine’s recipe, which was introduced in the late 1990s. The original vaccine, known as DTP, worked well but caused side effects such as rash and fever. So manufacturers designed a new vaccine, DTaP, which has fewer side effects.
However, as the first cohort of children vaccinated solely with DTaP grows up, doctors are finding that the new shot doesn’t offer the same long-term protection as the old shot. In 2006, the Tdap shot was offered as a means of boosting the waning immunity experienced by kids vaccinated with DTaP
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