Maine has the highest rate of pertussis in the country. It is more than eight times the national average and local researchers want to know why.Pertussis, or whooping cough, has a 40 percent mortality rate in people who are unvaccinated and untreated, University of New England pathologist Dr. Meghan May said.UNE researchers are examining why the bacteria is still infecting people who have been vaccinated."Why is this happening? Why do we have these strains that are able to infect vaccinated people? This, historically, was not as big a problem when we had the original version of the pertussis vaccine," May said.May is about to public research that has found that the higher number of unvaccinated Mainers has allowed the overall immunity of the population to drop enough that pertussis can circulate and evolve faster."If we did not have those strains circulating in the population, that would never have happened," May said.There is a significant anti-vaccination movement in Maine even though decades of scientific research shows that vaccines are effective and overwhelmingly safe.May admits that the scientific community can do a better job of explaining the process it uses to reach its conclusions."I am a mom. I have small kids. There is nothing I would ever do or suggest someone else do that would hurt them -- that would risk them in any way," May said.

Maine has the highest rate of pertussis in the country. It is more than eight times the national average and local researchers want to know why.


Pertussis, or whooping cough, has a 40 percent mortality rate in people who are unvaccinated and untreated, University of New England pathologist Dr. Meghan May said.

UNE researchers are examining why the bacteria is still infecting people who have been vaccinated.

"Why is this happening? Why do we have these strains that are able to infect vaccinated people? This, historically, was not as big a problem when we had the original version of the pertussis vaccine," May said.

May is about to public research that has found that the higher number of unvaccinated Mainers has allowed the overall immunity of the population to drop enough that pertussis can circulate and evolve faster.

"If we did not have those strains circulating in the population, that would never have happened," May said.

There is a significant anti-vaccination movement in Maine even though decades of scientific research shows that vaccines are effective and overwhelmingly safe.

May admits that the scientific community can do a better job of explaining the process it uses to reach its conclusions.

"I am a mom. I have small kids. There is nothing I would ever do or suggest someone else do that would hurt them -- that would risk them in any way," May said.