Study: Whooping Cough Risk Soars Minus Vaccine

Junimmunized Children 23 Times More Likely To Contract Disease

Most states require children to be vaccinated to enter school, but most allow for exemptions. In Maryland, all a parent has to do to opt out is sign a statement on a school health form that says it is contrary to the family's religious beliefs to be vaccinated.

What can drive an outbreak, doctors say, is when a cluster of parents have refused vaccination for their children.

Offit said he wonders when people will start to realize that the failure to vaccinate puts children at risk - both those whose parents made the decision and those who are unwittingly exposed to disease by the unvaccinated.

"I used to say the tipping point will come when children start to die. But I was wrong," he said. "Now I think it will be when enough children die.

"That vaccines work and are safe is not a question. But people are easily scared. It just seems easier to scare people than to reassure people."

Whooping cough in Md.

Year Total cases Status

Definite Probable

2004 159 43 116

2005 219 48 171

2006 153 42 111

2007 118 43 75

2008* 164 64 100

*Data for 2008 are provisional as of May 21, 2009

Sources: Maryland Electronic Reporting and Surveillance System, National Electronic Disease Surveillance System