Whooping cough is not a mild disease. Whooping cough, before the vaccination, could make you very, very sick. First of all, there was a chance you could die from it - small chance, not a big chance. You would be coughing and coughing. It wouldn't last for a few days, like a cold.
The entire purpose of a vaccine is to mimic infection as best you can. Historically, a live vaccine induces more potent, lasting and broader immune responses than a killed vaccine. The body is seeing the microbe in a way that is much more analogous to a real infection.
Historically, a live vaccine induces more potent, lasting and broader immune responses than a killed vaccine. The body is seeing the microbe in a way that is much more analogous to a real infection.