Deonnia Sanders

September 29, 2010

English 1020

                                                                                 Silence The Sound of Pertussis

     The sound of Pertussis is one of the scariest sounds a parent can here. Pertussis is a respiratory disease that develops in the mucous membrane. Pertussis is very dangerous and contagious disease compared to other diseases that cause infant like SIDS. The commercial Silence the Sound of Pertussis makes parents more aware of the danger that their infant babies are in. The commercial also encourages parents to get the vaccination to prevent the disease. This commercial uses pathos and logos to gain the audience’s attention by the sound of Pertussis. Pertussis can be fatal and up to 85% of the cases come from a close family member. It is important to get vaccinated. The life of infant children is at risk. This disease has tripled in the past two decades. A child should have the pleasure of living life, not dying because the parents and close family members didn’t get vaccinated. Pertussis can be prevented; the life a child can be saved. It is important to save the child and not let the child be a victim of Pertussis. 

     Pertussis is very contiguous and babies can catch it easily. The bacterium that causes it lives in the nose, throat, and mouth of the person. Although any one can catch it at any age it causes more harm in babies. A person with pertussis can be infected up to two weeks before they show any signs of the disease. In the commercial, it talked about how most babies catch it from their parents or close family members. Symptoms consist of runny nose, fever, vomiting, and coughing. At first the cough is not bad but as time goes by it becomes more rapid and high pitch. Fortunately it can be prevented by getting vaccinated. It is important for parents and other close family members to get vaccinated, especially since 85% percent of babies catch it from close family members. It will also help prevent death in infants caused by this disease. The commercial reaches out to parents making them more aware of the risk and what can be done to prevent it. The commercial sends its message by using pathos to gain attention.

     This commercial is pathos because it sends a message that is important to a lot of people. In the commercial, there is a mother holding her child. While she is holding her child, she talks about Pertussis. She is the attention getter because she is a mother and a lot of parents can relate to her.  For parents, it’s their responsibility to protect, shelter, and love their children. A parent would not think for a second that doing something comforting as holding their child could be dangerous. That is how parents show them affection by holding their babies close to their heart. Or even older siblings, they love the child, want to be there, and want to protect it. I’m an older sibling and I have a 2 year old brother. He never had Pertussis but if that was something that I pasted on to him I would feel horrible. That was the purpose of the commercial to make you think. It makes you feel a sense of fear and awareness at the same time. Nobody wants their infant child to be a victim of pertussis and you will do anything to prevent it. Even though the commercial uses pathos, it also uses logical information.

The commercial uses logos by providing information about the disease. The commercial talks about the disease being contagious and very fatal to infants. It also includes the percentages of babies that caught it from parents. That is something that is very important to know. Pertussis can be fatal and there are parents that are not aware. Based on the little information that is giving out in the commercial, it persuades the audience to learn more. After watching the commercial, it makes you think about your child’s health and safety. It gives you the information that is needed to know. That is what matters in a commercial like this. That is what caught my attention. Even though I’m not a parent I am an older sibling. It is important to know because the rate of this disease is increasing.

     The number of cases from Pertussis has tripled in the past three decades. This disease is on the rise and it’s harming more and more babies. The Kids Health website states that, “By 2004, the number of whooping cough cases spiked past 25,000. The highest level it has ever been since 1950.”  In some states like California, the Pertussis disease has caused nine deaths. Even when you look on the news it talks about how Pertussis is on the rise. Getting vaccinated is the best thing to do. Since babies under dix moths are too young, parents and close family need to get it. The disease is becoming more dangers now days. Pertussis cases are starting to increase more than other child deaths like SIDS.

     SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is a sudden and unexpected death that occurred in apparently healthy infants during sleep. SIDS is one of the top reasons of death in infant babies. Over 1000 infants die from it in the United States. Although the deaths are unpredictable, they have been reduced. At one point it was something that every parent feared but now Pertussis is now. With the rapid increase that has occurred over the years, parents are now worried about Pertussis then SIDS. It is scary now because there have been infant deaths due to Pertussis. The worst part is that the child could catch it from a family member.

     I really thought this commercial was persuasive. The commercial delivered a strong message to the audience. It provided important information. It used pathos and logos in the commercial. Pertussis is a very contagious disease and can be fatal to infants. This commercial reaches out to parents and close family members of infants. It makes parents aware of the risk their infants are in. The commercial helps protect infants and their families. The commercial is helping making the sound of Pertussis silent.