I recently met with my GP to get my annual flu shot. He asked if I had had whooping cough and I replied, "Yes, I think so as a child, amny moons ago!" He said "Right! in addition to the flu shot you are going to get the latest "quintupleantigen" shot, which amongst other things will protect you against whooping cough, especially important when your granschildren come to visit".
I thought they I should relay this on to all you other COPDers as a bout of WC with dickie lungs could prove fatal.
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martin1945
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Last December when my GP finally took my recurring pneumonia and chest infections seriously the first thing he did was to take blood to test for w. cough. It's because of immigration and some people not believing in some vaccinations.
They're trying to avoid an epidemic so you're right to warn people. P
I had whooping cough when a baby about 1949. Was lucky to live but it did a lot of damage to my lungs. Hence now I have emphysema. Maybe those choosing to visit or live from abroad on these shores should be required to prove they have been immunised before being allowed to enter the country. Quite right that another bout of whooping will finish off some of us. Do we have resistance against whooping cough when we have had it though?
I had whooping cough when a baby about 1949. Was lucky to live but it did a lot of damage to my lungs. Hence now I have emphysema. Maybe those choosing to visit or live from abroad on these shores should be required to prove they have been immunised before being allowed to enter the country. Quite right that another bout of whooping will finish off some of us. Do we have resistance against whooping cough when we have had it though?
Thanks for bringing this up, Martin. A quick search told me all we need to know about this. Short answer --- See your GP, ask about vaccination.
It seems there are new strains of Whooping Cough out there, so even if we had WC as a child, we have little natural defence now.
Like derrylynne, I had WC as a child, as well as pneumonia, and I believe these were major contributors to the initial lung damage that led to my emphysema.
This strikes me as a risk to take seriously, but there is no reason for paranoia. Just another thing in life to be dealt with. Unless we go down with it.
So see your GP, ask about the jab, don't be put off by 'It's just a rumour.', Insist they check for up-to-date info. What is an inconvenience for most people, will damage whatever capacity those of us with COPD have left.
Keep an eye on the grandchildren in case they bite you!
The HPA recommend that a booster of dTaP-IPV (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and polio vaccine) is given to older people (10–64 years of age) who have not received a dose of Td-IPV (tetanus, diphtheria, and polio vaccine) in the preceding month [HPA, 2010b].
I'll speak to my nurse about this on thurs. I had WC as a teenager which is probably why i have damaged lungs.....i had had the vaccine as a baby so if i hadn't had the vacinne it would have fnished me off rather than damage my lungs.
I've had pneumonia and the vacine and yearly flu jabs x
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