> Similar irrational fears prompted the development of the "acellular" version of the pertussis
Those fears were not in the slightest irrational. People had really really bad reactions to the regular pertussis to the point that people routinely advised new parents not to get it for their children.
The the new version is not as effective, that's true, but people refused the old version, and rightly so - the side effects were much worse.
So what's better a vaccine that doesn't work as well, that people are willing to take? Or a vaccine that works well, but far fewer people are willing to take it?
And on top of that since DTP was given as a unit, people refused the D and T parts as well (the Dr. may or may not have had it separately, but people weren't always so aware that the reactions were from the P, so refused the whole thing).
Those fears were not in the slightest irrational. People had really really bad reactions to the regular pertussis to the point that people routinely advised new parents not to get it for their children.
The the new version is not as effective, that's true, but people refused the old version, and rightly so - the side effects were much worse.
So what's better a vaccine that doesn't work as well, that people are willing to take? Or a vaccine that works well, but far fewer people are willing to take it?
And on top of that since DTP was given as a unit, people refused the D and T parts as well (the Dr. may or may not have had it separately, but people weren't always so aware that the reactions were from the P, so refused the whole thing).