vaxing parents to reduce risk for kids?

[July09Mama]

My 16 month old has not had any vaxes yet. We do plan to do some before she starts school, but obviously, we have quite a while. 

Anyway, we are somewhat concerned about the pertussis risk this winter. DH and I haven't had any vaccinations ourselves since we were in school, so I'm sure we're both expired on it. We just started thinking about it since we saw a poster about childcare providers getting vaxed to reduce the risk to the kids they care for. Does anyone know how much the risk of our dd getting it would go down if DH and I were vaxed? Or would it be better that if she got it, I could get it too so I could provide more antibodies for her through the breastmilk (although I think I would still make them even if I had been vaxed, right?)? 

[mattemma04]

You can look online through your local health dept. where they will post the reported cases of pertussis. If I had to choose between vaxing myself or my kid I would probably do myself. From what I read years ago you need atleast 3 doses to get a decent level of immunity,and as the insert states there are some that will not be protected despite the vaccine. So even if you did do the vaccine for yourself or your child you should be aware of pertussis symptoms and various conventional/alternative treatments.

Daycare raises the risk for so many diseases.My dd was at a preschool in a daycare setting and she gave ds and I some pinkeye and strep.We never got any VPDs. I was bfing my dd till she was 3.

Best wishes whatever you decide to do.

[bbrandonsmom]

 Hi, this should have some info for you on Pertussis.  http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/vaccine-efficacy-how-often-do-vaccines-work/dtap/  The vaccine for Pertussis is pretty iffy, as far as protection goes.  Irl, my friends kids who are fully vaxed w/ Dtap, both got Pertussis this summer, and so did some other fully vaxed Dtap kids in the practice, so....If managed correctly, it shouldn't be a problem, and the cough becomes just a nuisance. 21 days at the start is the contagious period, and you're supposed to stay home, but I wonder how many people are walking around w/ Pertussis and do not know it, and hence, spreading it around?  My aunt had a bad cough for about 3 months last year, but it didn't occur to either of us to consider Pertussis, which she probably had. Didn't occur to her dr either-why, because she is vaxed for it.

 Oh, dh and I aren't vaxed either, and will not be.  It would be crappy if we got it, but I'm still taking the chance of getting it even if we were vaxed, so I'd rather just deal with the disease itself, instead of the disease + the vaccine.