What are the Pros and Cons of the Whooping Cough Vaccine?

QUESTION: I'm terribly confused, and know that many other mothers have a
similar problem, as we face decisions about vaccinations. Would you please
discuss the pros and cons of the whooping cough vaccine?
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ANSWER: Recent news about some of the serious consequences of the pertussis
or whooping cough vaccine has led to worldwide controversy over its "benefits
versus risks" standing. Frankly, the risks of immunizations which contain the
pertussis vaccine are greater than those of any other vaccine available today.
Usually the vaccine is given as part of an immunization injection containing
diphtheria and tetanus vaccine, known as DTP vaccine. However, proponents of
the pertussis vaccine point out that the results seen even when it is given to
so-called "high risk" children (those who previously have had seizures or have
a family history of seizures) are actually less than the bad consequences that
arrive after an actual bout of pertussis. Among the serious side effects that
result in every one out of 7,000 vaccine doses given, are high fever (over 103
degrees F), convulsions, irritability, a deep lethargy, or shock, which is
characterized by difficult breathing, paleness, and a lack of response to
stimuli. Permanent brain damage occurs in one out of every 310,000 children
vaccinated. Even rarer, death is a possibility. Before the DTP was developed
in the early 1940's, death was significant due to pertussis. Still today,
brain damage and seizures happen when children have a pertussis episode. One
study reveals that one out of every 4,000 pertussis victims suffers brain
damage. By contrast only one out of every 100,000 doses of DTP produces
similar problems. Seizures occur in one out of every 225 pertussis victims,
yet one out of every 950 DTP doses may provoke such seizures in a child. A
further complication in the controversy over the vaccine is the fact that the
age at which an infant receives its series of pertussis shots is also the age
when symptoms of an underlying neurological disorder show themselves for the
first time. Research is now geared to predicting which children will suffer
neurological damage from the vaccine. There is also testing of a new vaccine
in Japan. (The United Kingdom and Japan have taken on nonimmunization trends
due to the controversy, but pertussis outbreaks have resulted there.) More
testing and results are needed before any definitive solution comes about. In
the meantime, parents have to weigh the pros and cons of the DTP and decide
not only what they think is best for their children, but for the community as
well.