The given line chart delineates the number of pertussis cases both beforehand and afterwards the introduction of vaccinations in Britain from 1940 to 1990.
Overall, it is discernible that the incidence of whooping cough sharply fluctuated when it came to the nonexistence of vaccines. Additionally, there was a stark contrast in the pattern of vaccine uptakes and reported cases of pertussis disease. While the portion of the former experienced a surge despite an initial drop, the figure recorded in the latter registered a downturn.
Commencing with the period prior to the development of vaccines, whooping cough incidence initiated its figure with 50 000 cases in 1940 and then rocketed by more than three times, reaching a highest figure of over 170 000 cases. Despite a plunge, the total cases of pertussis regained momentum to its prior peak in 1950. This rise was subsequently followed by a notable fall to around 75 000 cases in the mid 1950s, regardless of some mild fluctuations.
It was not until 1960 that vaccines were broadly utilized, acting as a precursor to the decline of whooping cough cases. In practice, as illustrated in the chart, around four-fifths of the population had been vaccinated since the mid 1960s, whereas the cases of people infected with pertussis had lowered to a negligible figure, approximately ranging from 5000 – 30 000 cases. However, there was a steep drop in the figure of vaccine uptakes to a trough of 30% in 1980, resulting in a marked escalation in whooping cough incidence to an initial point.
During the late 1980s onwards, an increasing number of citizens in Britain received vaccinations, with 94% of them being immunized in the final period. In contrast, the reported pertussis cases fell gradually despite some volatilities, having little or no impact on overall public health.