Hearing loss and illnesses

Currently I am 65% Deaf and my hearing loss is on a steady decline. This past eighteen months it dove into the valley 3 times. My latest audiograms look like a plane crash. My loving brother's description...I wonder if I will have any hearing remaining in the next 5 years.
My hearing loss began as a young child. I am an early loss twin and I was a very, very  sick little girl.  At five years of age I had to have my tonsils and adenoids removed. As a result I was horribly sick with pneumonia that required my being placed on an IV. In that time era as both Momma and Nana were RN's, I was allowed to be treated on the IV at home, which they did. Momma said she thought they were going to lose me I was so ill. Fever raged and the pneumonia was consuming my little body. This warrior child pulled through. When I was in first grade I contracted Whooping Cough and became horribly ill.

Whooping Cough, also known as Pertussis is highly contagious and can cause serious illnesses according to the CDC - Whooping Cough.

I was "medicated" with Hot Toddies ( tea, lemon, honey and brandy) and lots of rest. I was a very sick little girl. A vaccine is available now to help against getting Pertussis. Why the cases of Whooping Cough are on the rise now baffles me. It is a scary thing to have when you area kid and scary for parents when their child has the illness.

I survived those two of many illnesses (they were the worst) but the consequences left me with lifelong repercussions. My hearing loss began before i even entered first grade and began the slow and steady decline over time. Apparently the loss was not enough back then to get anyone's attention. They concentrated on my vision, which required me to wear glasses by the time I entered first grade.

Why, when we have the vaccine, is this highly infectious disease on the rise? 
CDC: U.S. Whooping Cough cases rising at epidemic rate. The CDC news report stated that In 2010 there were 27,000 cases reported and 27 died from the disease, of which, 25 were infants.

In this next article it is reported by the CDC that 18,000 cases have been reported and it is more than double last years cases. CDC: WHooping Cough cases may be most in 5 decades. A vaccine was introduced in the 1940's and cases decreased yet they are on an alarming rise now. I was told that the vaccine was not available to me and I was the only one of six living children to not receive it. I was born in 1960. I don't know if it was unavailable in our area or what but it has me wondering since the vaccine was introduced almost 20 years prior to my birth.

 As a child I also experienced numerous ear infections. This is another factor that can contribute to hearing loss and Deafness as they did in my case. The numerous ear infections led to my having the adenoids removed with the tonsils. There are multiple causes of ear infections including family history but I find the following statement very interesting. Both my parents and my maternal nana were heavy smokers.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders "Studies have shown that babies who are around smokers have more ear infections." 

Meniere's Disease affected my father when he was in his 40's and he had to be placed on medication Meclazine which helped him somewhat. No one else in the family was affected. By this time however, mom was along on her journey to hearing loss and wore two hearing aids. Neither of my maternal grandparents experienced hearing loss. From what I know and heard my paternal grandparents had no troubles with their hearing either. 

Peace