The article that Mylitta posted did point out that the current vaccine is still 85% effective. The strains that are covered by the current vaccine are still most likely the vast majority of whooping cough in the community.

I wouldn't call that minimally effective or at all. Just sayin'.

I wouldn't call It a whitewash but it's obvious that the vaccine needs to be updated to reflect the new strains of the disease.
Then that says more about the ineffectiveness of the aP to do its job at all. Our figures are abnormally high. In 2009, a quarter of reported cases to the WHO were from Australia. As at November 2010 there was already 24,000 reported cases. Every other developed country in the world using DTaP is having far greater success with it. Whenever it is questioned here, they pull out those lines. "It was whole cell in 97 to 99 during our big ourbreak" (People born from 1997 onwards got DTaP. DTwP was phased in slowly so as not to give children who had already started the DTwP course a different type) "Its still 85% effective" (based only on laboratory controlled studies of one age group. It was 78% in regular studies of the same age group.) There are others but you must be getting my meaning by now.

There is something wrong, and we deserve not to be treated like fools. It is in fact a disservice to their cause as how are we likely to have any respect for them or believe them about anything if they can't even admit that clearly, something is very wrong.