2.27 Is whooping cough close to being eradicated? In the first half of the 20th century, whooping cough was a frequently occurring bacterial infection that often resulted in death, especially among young children. A vaccination for whooping cough was developed in the 1940s. How effective has the vaccination been in eradicating whooping cough?

One measure to consider is the incidence rate (number of infected individuals per 100,000 population) in the United States. The table shows incidence rates from 1925 to 1970.

a. Sketch a time plot. What type of trend do you observe?
Based on the trend from 1945 to 1970, was the whooping cough vaccination proving effective in reducing the incidence of whooping cough?

b. The figure shown is a time plot of the incidence rate from 1980 to 2012, based on numbers reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.3 Describe the time series.
Is the United States close to eradicating whooping cough?
What do you think contributes to the recent trend? (Data available on the book’s website in the pertussis.csv file.)

c. Would a histogram of the incidence rates since 1935 address the question about the success of the vaccination for whooping cough? Why or why not?

Transcribed Image Text:

Incidence Rates for Whooping Cough, 1925-1970 Year Rate per 100,000 1925 131.2 1930 135.6 1935 141.9 1940 139.6 1945 101.0 1950 80.1 1955 38.2 1960 8.3 1965 3.5 1970 2.1