As of November 25, 2025, a third infant in Kentucky has died of whooping cough. So far this year, Kentucky has reported at least 566 cases. Texas has reported 3,500 cases so far this year. Falling vaccination rates are entirely to blame for this situation.

Most of what we hear from parents who are reluctant to agree that their children should be vaccinated comes from the fear that vaccines cause autism. Which could not be further from the truth. Yet - to admit you are wrong means a loss of identity as a true believer and loss of group inclusion, of a deeply held certainty about how the world works. So our tribal times now make more sense, where clearly false beliefs or conspiracy theories have become loyalty tests for group membership.

All of this leads me to ask - what has happened to rugged American individualism, the sharp and skeptical and realistic view of the world that has guided Americans for so long?

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08 - The Sound of Whooping Cough