The line graph illustrates the incidence of whooping cough in Britain between 1940 and 2010, alongside the corresponding percentage of vaccine uptake. Overall, it is clear that the number of reported cases experienced a dramatic downward trend, while vaccine coverage generally increased, despite a notable dip in the mid-1970s.
At the start of the period in 1940, there were approximately 55,000 reported cases of whooping cough. This figure fluctuated significantly, peaking at around 145,000 cases by 1950. Following the introduction of the vaccination programme in the mid-1950s, the number of cases began a sharp decline, dropping to roughly 35,000 by 1960 and falling further to below 20,000 by 1970.
Conversely, vaccine uptake was recorded at 81% in the mid-1960s before plummeting to a low of 30% in the mid-1970s. This period of low vaccination coincided with a temporary resurgence in the disease, with cases spiking to approximately 65,000. However, as vaccine uptake recovered to 94% by 1990, the incidence of whooping cough fell to negligible levels, remaining consistently low at approximately 1,000 cases per year through to 2010.