Also known as a whooping cough, Pertussis is a respiratory disease that is also contagious and is caused due to Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium. This disease is characterized by a prolonged paroxysmal cough and is also accompanied with by rispiratory whoop. The severity of the disease varies with the history and age of the previous vaccination or exposure. The symptoms also vary in infants and the adults. Before the vaccination era, the whooping cough was a common childhood disease that was also a major cause of infant and child mortality (Faulkner et al., 2016).
During 1953, in Australia, the universal childhood immunization program with the combined DTP or diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine was started by the health authorities and continued at the national level since 1982. With the passing of the time-period, the health authorities have continued the programs with various modifications such as the switch from the (DTPw) diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis vaccine to (DTPa) diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis …show more content…
The coverage of the program reaches at 91.7% in age-group of the children at 5 years or less (Pillsbury, Quinn & McIntyre, 2016).
The other country whose program can be compared with the Australian pertussis immunization program in the Western Countries is the USA. In the early 1940s, the implementation of the childhood immunization program has covered more than 90% of the children all over the country. Since 1994 this figure has increased to 90% all over the country. However, both countries are recently experiencing the increase in the various cases of pertussis that are being reported to various state and national government health departments on the regular basis (Faulkner et al.,
During 1953, in Australia, the universal childhood immunization program with the combined DTP or diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine was started by the health authorities and continued at the national level since 1982. With the passing of the time-period, the health authorities have continued the programs with various modifications such as the switch from the (DTPw) diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis vaccine to (DTPa) diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis …show more content…
The coverage of the program reaches at 91.7% in age-group of the children at 5 years or less (Pillsbury, Quinn & McIntyre, 2016).
The other country whose program can be compared with the Australian pertussis immunization program in the Western Countries is the USA. In the early 1940s, the implementation of the childhood immunization program has covered more than 90% of the children all over the country. Since 1994 this figure has increased to 90% all over the country. However, both countries are recently experiencing the increase in the various cases of pertussis that are being reported to various state and national government health departments on the regular basis (Faulkner et al.,