Help now, please...!

[Messac888]

My rwo oldest kids (7 and 5) are in gymnastics. I found out today that they've been exposed to whooping cough for the last two or three weeks at the gym (they're here 4xs a week). Wse also have a 3 and 1 year old. You can probably guess we started vaxing ds when he was a baby, had a reaction, never vaxed again, none of the others got vexed. Doctor is very pro-vax and I don't feel I'll get real info either way. That said...

...do we take them in for the vax? We won't have 'clearance' until Sept 12th- a while away from now. I am more concerned about baby's reactions than anything because she also has lead poisioning and I don;t know how that could react with vaxes. I've already had whooping cough so I'm not worried about me, just the baby. I've been thinking about tetanus shots for all at some point in the near future anyway, so... it that NOW? What would you do if this were you? Advice- and support- asap, I'm only online for the next hour! Thanks!

[heathergirl67]

Originally Posted by Messac888

My rwo oldest kids (7 and 5) are in gymnastics. I found out today that they've been exposed to whooping cough for the last two or three weeks at the gym (they're here 4xs a week). Wse also have a 3 and 1 year old. You can probably guess we started vaxing ds when he was a baby, had a reaction, never vaxed again, none of the others got vexed. Doctor is very pro-vax and I don't feel I'll get real info either way. That said...

...do we take them in for the vax? We won't have 'clearance' until Sept 12th- a while away from now. I am more concerned about baby's reactions than anything because she also has lead poisioning and I don;t know how that could react with vaxes. I've already had whooping cough so I'm not worried about me, just the baby. I've been thinking about tetanus shots for all at some point in the near future anyway, so... it that NOW? What would you do if this were you? Advice- and support- asap, I'm only online for the next hour! Thanks!

OMG! Poor baby! How did that happen??

[Messac888]

The paint on our house is peeling- lead paint apparently, and she eats the dirt in the backyard. So much for letting them get good and dirty outside...

[alegna]

One round of vaccine at this point will do very little- I wouldn't even consider it.

-Angela

[Emmeline II]

I'd just give them sodium ascorbate.

[harli]

I agree with the others the vax won't protect them now. It's pretty much too late for that.

That said the vax may not have protected them at all. The Pertussis part of DTaP has a high failure rate. Both my kids were fully vaxed and got full blown WC. So don't feel bad about that either.

I would do the vitamin C treatments that a previous poster suggested. It's a great remedy for WC. Better then the antibiotics that may make the problem worse, if they do anything at all. I would also treat yourself with the vitamin C as well since it doesn't matter one iota that you've had WC in the past. You do not get lifelong immunity after you've had it once before and you can get it multiple times in your life.

I would also question the Tetanus vax. It's pretty hard to get it and the bacteria that causes it is very rare. Just something to think about.

Good luck Mama and stay healthy!

[Marnica]

Wouldn't do the DTaP, pointless at this point and potentially very dangerous for a baby that has lead poisoning.

[lunamegn]

Originally Posted by harli

I would also treat yourself with the vitamin C as well since it doesn't matter one iota that you've had WC in the past. You do not get lifelong immunity after you've had it once before and you can get it multiple times in your life.

Do you have a source for this? I was just reading in Aviva Jill Romm's Vaccine book that it confers permanent immunity once you have naturally caught the disease versus vaccinating for it.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by lunamegn

Do you have a source for this? I was just reading in Aviva Jill Romm's Vaccine book that it confers permanent immunity once you have naturally caught the disease versus vaccinating for it.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15876927

A review of the published data on duration of immunity reveals estimates that infection-acquired immunity against pertussis disease wanes after 4-20 years and protective immunity after vaccination wanes after 4-12 years.

[newmum35]

I wouldn't do it. If they've ALREADY been exposed, then the vax won't do any good, you'd need all 3 rounds (spaced 2 months apart) - they won't be fully protected until 4 months from now!

For lead poisoning angle, see a recent discussion:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...php?p=15738835