whooping cough

[craigsif]

Hi all, Yep Ive got whooping cough!! and I am over 21 and no vaccinations don't last forever, it's the last thing I expected to come down with, and yes folks its very very unpleasant. So to all of us who might be a tad run down etc, please check with your doctor as to the feasibility of re vaccination, cause I wouldn't want anyone on this forum coming down with this. prevention is far better than the cure, believe me lol.

[Barrister]

I got whooping cough in my early twenties, caught it from my younger brother who passed it on to me and my 10 month old son. When my youngest son was 22 he caught it too. I think it's probably more common than we realise! Hope you feel better soon. Clemmie

[Azabat]

I nearly died of it as a baby (strangely, I have no memory of this Caution remains the better part of valour, yes? Hope you're feeling better soon!

[Someonesmother]

Ohh that's no good, you poor thing. we have an outbreak where I live due to non vaccination of kids. So now a disease that was under control is running rampant and babies who are too young to be vaccinated and those with suppressed immune systems getting it. I once spent a week in a baby ward when my son had cancer and i was awful listening to the poor tiny babies whooping and struggling for breath. It is heartbreaking.

I hope you recover quickly.

[jell in reply to Someonesmother]

never blame the unvaccinated for the spread.

It isn't actually rampant in UK?

Whooping cough outbreaks are cyclical occurring apprx 4 yearly i think. The virus is very clever and will find ways to survive and reproduce and strengthen.

Because the vaccination isn't 100% and non lasting, more likely to catch it from an older person. Bearing in mind older people were never vaccinated? I wasn't.

I remember a friend's brother having it in the 60s. My brother and I were round there all the time. We didn't catch it. My friend's six siblings didn't either.

My baby nephew had it in the 90s and I helped look after him while his mother worked. His siblings didn't catch it. Neither did his young cousins.

My nephew, the only one that did, had been vaccinated a couple months prior.

Perhaps it can be very mild in some that it is put done to a persistent cold?

14 babies under 3 months died in 2012 7 in 2013 and 3 in 2014.

There is a plus side to having had it though - A mother that has had the virus naturally gives her babies the best protection of all.

Just a note, I have come across 100s of death certs in 1800s early 1900s and surprisingly only across three as whooping cough as secondary cause of death. Most common appeared to be diarrhoea.

[Someonesmother in reply to jell]

I live in Australia and unfortunately the anti vaxx campaigners have run campaigns and childhood illnesses that are preventable are on the rise as people have been made fearful of having it done. We will have to agree to disagree as I believe in vaccination to prevent and limit diseases and unnecessary deaths. Whooping cough is a serious and deadly disease in babies and those with compromised immune systems. In Australia grandparents, parents and children are offered immunization to stop the spread of preventable diseases for free. It is a shame more people aren't taking it up to prevent these outbreaks. Many childcare centres here will not enroll your child if they have no immunization and family tax benefits are also linked to immunization.

The reason behind vaccination is to limit or prevent outbreaks and is called herd immunity. This is a great explanation of herd immunity (granted it is US but still relevant worldwide in it's concept) which is one way to prevent outbreaks becoming out of control.

youtube.com/watch?v=ZuiHFg_...(Not working as expected?)

[jell in reply to Someonesmother]

most cases of whooping cough in UK are of those that have been immunised.

I do agree with immunisation but not forced. I just do not agree that the immunisations are 100% safe either. There is still a lot to learn.

Not only should people have a choice but there should be a choice of single jabs too.

Interesting that the older generation are given the option to have it over in Australia - nothing like that here.

[jell]

GP told me vaccination will not give 100% immunity protection as catching these things naturally.

[Hidden]

A word of caution here, although I agree with vaccinating make sure they look closely at your notes before they do it for this one. My daughter reacted badly on her first injection for whooping cough therefore not allowed the further two, if she were to be given it now it would be worse than the actual disease. We asked this again recently because of an outbreak where we live, that was when we were told it would be the same.

[mary53]

Poor you...I had when I was 18...doctor said it was milder because I had been vaccinated. Hope the coughing, particularly at night, subsides soon.

[craigsif]

Thanks for your kind words and thoughts. I did grow up in docklands, and remember mums having party's were their children had various childhood illness's ! We were encouraged to play with the spotted/runny nosed child. In the hope we in turn would in turn become snotty/spotted kids. Lol however having listened and watched my young sister fight this many moons ago and now myself struggling to draw breath for 2-5 minutes this is not one for party time.