Vaccine Choice Canada Pertussis - Disease & Vaccine Information

Pertussis

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a respiratory illness caused by the pertussis bacterium. Pertussis is highly contagious and circulates all year long. Pertussis is transmitted from person to person through coughing and direct contact with the mucus of a person who is actively contagious. The major symptom of pertussis is uncontrollable coughing. Babies younger than three months are at highest risk of complications from pertussis because their lungs are still being developed. For most others, whooping cough is a relatively mild disease and recovery provides life-long immunity.

The Vaccine

The pertussis vaccine is not designed to prevent infection or transmission of pertussis and therefore does not provide community benefit as is often claimed. The vaccine is designed solely to reduce the severity of symptoms. This protection wanes over time.
The pertussis vaccine is only available as a combination vaccine that contains tetanus and diphtheria (DTaP). It is also sometimes administered with polio (IPV), haemophilus influenzae B (Hib), and hepatitis B (TB).
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends administration of a pertussis containing vaccine (DTaP) six times: at 2, 4, and 6 months; 15 – 18 months; four – six years old, and a booster dose at 11-12 years of age (Tdap).
The NACI recommends that pregnant women receive a dose of Tdap vaccine during pregnancy. This recommendation contradicts the information provided by the vaccine manufacturers that the safety and effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine has “not been established in pregnant women”.
The whole cell pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccine (DPT) was removed from the North American market because of the high incidences of neurological injury, including seizures and death.
The current acellular vaccine, while safer, has resulted in the emergence of vaccine resistant strains which has contributed to a resurgence of whooping cough.

Considerations for the Vaccine Decision

Many doctors recommend parents ‘cocoon’ their newborn for the first few months to reduce the risk of contracting pertussis. Avoid air travel and indoor contact with crowds and sick people.
The practice of vaccinating family members to protect newborns and infants can increase the risk of infection as a vaccinated individual may not be aware they are infected because the vaccine suppresses symptoms. The vaccine does not prevent transmission.
The pertussis vaccine contains aluminum, a known neurotoxin.
The risks associated with combination vaccines have not been tested.
As of March 31, 2023, there had been 182,153 serious adverse events reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System in connection with pertussis-containing vaccines since 1990. Of these pertussis-vaccine related adverse event reports, 3,314 were deaths, with nearly 86% occurring in children under three years of age. [41]
The risk of harm from pertussis has not been proven to be more than that of the vaccine.
A US HHS study acknowledged that less than 1% of vaccine adverse events are reported. [42]
The safety of the pertussis vaccine has not been proven against a true placebo.