Write a Python function that takes a string as input and returns the count of vowels in the string. Consider the vowels to be "a", "e", "i", "o", and "u". Ensure that the function is case-insensitive, meaning "A" and "a" should be counted as the same vowel. Also, remove any whitespace characters from the given string before counting the vowels. The function should be named "count_vowels" and take one argument (the string to be analyzed). Finally, include a brief description of the function's purpose and usage in a docstring.
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