6. Whooping cough, forcing those infected to cough so hard that they risk breaking their ribs, has not been eradicated despite the discovery of a vaccine in 1942 and continues to kill more than 50,000 people each year
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious airborne disease possessing symptoms, at least initially, similar to the common cold. However, following a mild cough and runny nose, the infected person suffers through weeks of harsh coughing fits. Lasting for potentially longer than ten weeks, the disease causes the individual to cough so hard that they become greatly fatigued, vomit, and risk even breaking ribs. Since 1942, prevention of whooping cough has primarily been fought by vaccination, with medical opinion recommending inoculating children within six to eight weeks after birth. If infected, individuals can be treated with modern antibiotics if the condition is identified within three weeks.
The first recorded outbreaks of the disease stem from the 16th century, with the frequency steadily declining during the 20th century. However, even with advanced medical treatment approximately 50 percent of infected children less than one-year-old require hospitalization, with 1 in 200 dying as a result of the condition. Since the turn of the millennium, and the associated emergence of organized opposition to vaccinations in contravention of medical advice, instances of infection have risen. In 2015, an estimated 16.3 million people were infected, resulting in 58,700 deaths, whilst in 2010 California suffered its worst outbreak for sixty years.