Pertussis outbreak, dh wants to vax

[morgainesmama]

So far my 2yo has had the DT vax, and it's all I've planned to give. I expected to do the same for ds 2 this summer.

Now that there are reports of pertussis outbreaks, dh, who works at a hospital as a nurse, is concerned about our kids. He'd like them to have the pertussis vax. I told him I'd look into it.

What are the real numbers? The risks of pertussis? The risks of the vaccine? It's estimated efficacy?

Thanks!

[Evergreen]

Honestly, I don't know the risks vs numbers, but I will venture to say they are higher than anyone may wager. The reason I say this is because my daughter has pertussis right now as does half her friends (some vaxed some not). Almost all of them went to conventional peds at the onset of the cough. They were diagnosed with anything from bronchitis to asthma and allergies. Finally, one of the moms (who had been told it was allergies) went in and demanded a pertussis test. Eleven days later it was positive. THese kids all play together atleast once a week and all have the same cough so I am sure they all have it, and my 32 year old partner has it too (but it is little more than an annoyance to him).


This accounts for about 10 people on my tiny island who have it, none of whom would have known it otherwise. Also, I had to go to Virginia for an eye appointment and in talking with one of the assistants to the doctor, I found out her son has it too. He was fully vaxed. We think an outbreak in the Hampton Roads/Norfolk area spread down here to NC and someone caught a germ somewhere. So there could be many more cases out there.

The youngest child who got it is 6 months old, the doctor refused to do a test on hime even though he was not vaccinated. My daughter will be two in January as will the girl whose mother figured out it is pertussis. The other girl had it a bit worse than Dyl, but they quicklygot it under control with the help from a naturopath. Dylan's hasn't ever been anything more than annoying. She does occasionally throw up from coughing and she makes the classic whoop, but the other child never did.

So, that is my experience. I am sure many other people have it here but don't know it because they have been vaxed.

[Tracy]

just so you know if you live in north america, Pertussis' high season is late summer. So, we have just passed the peak. There are some parts that have a smaller bump around February but really the bulk of pertussis is late summer early fall.

anyway...these links may help

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ight=pertussis

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ight=pertussis

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ight=pertussis


http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ight=pertussis

[Isaac'smama]

Here's a link to the CDC's website the mobidity and mortality weekly report. You can click on "disease trends" then "search morbidity tables" then search week 44 in 2004. Pertussis is table 5. This will give you an idea of how many cases were reported (ofcourse there could be more that were not reported.) http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index.html

I'm trying to decide on this one, too.

Good luck!

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by morgainesmama

So far my 2yo has had the DT vax, and it's all I've planned to give. I expected to do the same for ds 2 this summer.

Now that there are reports of pertussis outbreaks, dh, who works at a hospital as a nurse, is concerned about our kids. He'd like them to have the pertussis vax. I told him I'd look into it.

What are the real numbers? The risks of pertussis? The risks of the vaccine? It's estimated efficacy?

Thanks!

Oh gee, I don't know off hand but did you seach the archives?

But all vaccines contain foreign proteins and cause allergies in the receiver sooner or later.
All vaccines contain one or all of the following: Mercury, Aluminum, Antifreeze, Formaldehyde.
No vaccine give 100% protection.
No vaccine can guarantee any protection.
No vaccine can guarantee your child not having a reaction.

Pertussis vaccine is linked to SIDS.
It was taken off the market in 1979 here in Europe for unexplained reasons.
When it was taken off the suggested infant vaccine list in Japan, and placed on the over 2yrs. of age suggested vaccine list, SIDS rate dropped drastically.

Since your dh is an RN, he would understand that if your body can not confer immunity after an illness, no vaccine can do that either.
And since we can get both diphtheria and tetanus over and over again, because the body creates no immunity, the vaccine serves no purpose.

Please tell him to read some Dr. Mendelsohn's book "Raising a healthy child in spite of your doctor".

For sure do research before giving your child injections with scientifically proven poisons which will never leave his body again.

[alex-lynne]

I've read it over and over but it is finally sinking in...IF THE ILLNESS CANNOT CONFER IMMUNITY HOW CAN A VACCINE PROMISE TOO??
So help me get that straight...diptheria, tetanus..what others?
a-l

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by alex-lynne

I've read it over and over but it is finally sinking in...IF THE ILLNESS CANNOT CONFER IMMUNITY HOW CAN A VACCINE PROMISE TOO??
So help me get that straight...diptheria, tetanus..what others?
a-l

Yes, you said it better.

Diphtheria, tetanus, and hib. Those are things that are all around us all the time. 90% of healthy people have diphtheria and hib gems in their noses or throats most of the time and they cause no problems. Tetanus spores are all over, we can not touch one thing without being in contact with tetanus.

So, the fact that we don't fall constantly ill or die from any of those, is proof that the danger does not even exist.

Russia has forced vaccines. Everyone is completely vaccinated. Now since their boarders are open, we see many vaccine damaged children. And ironically they have the most epidemics.

Surprising? Not at all.

They are fighting wars, are hungry, out of jobs, cold, poor, miserable, and have spent all their money pretending to be the strongest country in the world instead of providing decent nutrition and housing for their citizens.

Pasteur said it best at the end of his life: It's not the germ but the terrain!

[alex-lynne]

I know this thread started about pertussis specifically but I'd like to ask one more thing.
It is not the germ but the terrain..that one is starting to sink in, too..
So with your example of Russia..we often say here vaccines are not necessary for these reasons x, y, z...then we add that certainly because we are an industrialized nation with access to medical care, indoor plumbing, proper nutrition (although we all don't partake of that)...they are even less necessary..
Are they ever? Can we attribute any of the decreased infectious disease on the intro of vaccines? Not the newer ones..MMR on, let's say...but smallpox, or polio..
The fact that Russia has high disease rates and high vax rate but poor living conditions kinda wakes me up..I felt if they were necessary anywhere it would be in underdeveloped nations... & perhaps those who travel to them...hmmmm
a-l

[love2all]

I do not have a lot to add, just a hug and i want to tell you that i went thru pertussis with my 3 kids this past summer- the youngest was 10 weeks when he got it. it was long and sometimes very scary and truely a fulltime job for 2 parents.BUT it is over... is the original reason you did DT w/o the P because of the possible connection to autism? Autism is a lifelong ailment, and as i said, the pertussis has passed- every now and then, when the weather is wet the baby coughs start again BUT i feel it is nothing compared to the unknown possible risks associated with the shot..
much peace mama-
maria

[morgainesmama]

Interesting bit ... found out today that are friend's two boys, 3 and baby, both vaccinated on schedule, have just been tested for pertussis. Mama is not convinced, but the doc gave her antibiotics and wants her and the boys to take them.

So I guess vaxed or no, we'll get them eventually probably .... and at this point if we've been exposed vaxing won't help.

Hmmm ....

Kristi

[amnesiac]

http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/Y...-bacterial.htm

[stevee]

pertussis

Hi,

Nearly 2 years ago, when she was just 3, my daughter, Sophie, had pertussis. Two of my friends little ones also got it (they were all around the same age). They coughed for 16 weeks or so. It was a very long winter. It was no fun at all, but we survived. A few of the older kids of our group, and one adult, also got it.

As children age, it is less of an ordeal. Older children and adults get it but it isn't diagnosed as "pertussis", just a lingering cough. One friend has a daughter who had it when she was an infant (10 mos. or so)-- that was hellish-- but again, she survived and was fine.

Information is power. I always feel that if I make an informed decision, I can sleep better at night. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[mumziemoo]

So interesting to hear that it's going around over there as well as here. My kids have had it for the first time and my 2 youngest (11 and 2) are still getting over it. It's been the biggest outbreak in Western Australia since 1997 and they're busy immunising teenagers at school because they feel that they're the ones spreading it because the immunisation has worn off. I have many questions about this and no answers................

btw My parents have just been visiting from over East and my Mum was sick while she was here. When she got home she found out that she'd had it as well.

[mumziemoo]

I forgot to say that none of my children have been immunised and my teenagers did not have the booster that was offered. I have been treating them with homeopathic remedies which have eased their symptoms.

Om shanti

[okragirl]

pertussis

My girls are not vaccinated and both have pertussis or what my accupuncturist called, "peripertussis" right now. My four year old is on week seven, we believe, and my 13 month old is on week six. We are treating them with homeopathy and Chinese herbs plus we are stimulating accupuncture points and merridians and doing lots of percussion on their backs.

I'm exhausted. This is my first break in six weeks. I'm "on" all day and all night, waiting to hold them through their next cough.

Both my accupunturist and my osteopath believe that childhood illness is healthy and the girls will come out strong and vital. My dh, who is a holistic doctor agrees and would never vaccinate our girls, but if I had the chance to do this over, I think I'd choose to vaccinate against this one. I've heard that the vax is only 60 percent effective, but right now I'm living through it and it's a biggie.

My dh lets me sleep for two or three hours in the mornings, but that is the only uninterupted sleep I get. We could be doing this for up to six months.

I hope this is of some help to some...

[morgainesmama]

It looks as if the kids have not been exposed. However, my friend's kids do have pertussis. Both her 3yo and her 5mo have been fully vaccinated. She does not know when or how she was exposed, but many from our playgroup / homeschool group were over there on Wednesday last week so I think it is only a matter of time unless I'm willing to keep my kids in for the winter.

For my friend who's dealing with this, any tips on keeping sane? She wants to do the antibiotics just so she can leave the house (it stops contagion), but is trying to keep from all tv all the time with her older one, and is already very stir crazy and very afraid for the baby, who has a few couging spells every hour.

As far as me, I've decided not to vaccinate. From those on this list and other research, it looks as though the vaccine is far less than 60% effective, and possibly not effective at all. It wears off in only a few years, so older children and adults are susceptible, and once in the house, 80% of others in the house get it, whether or not vaccinated. However, after reading your experiences here and other places, I am really hopng to avoid this one at least for a few years til baby is older, as it is much milder the older you get.

I tell ya, I'm so worried about this one. As you said, okragirl, it's a biggie.

to you mama; I don't envy you this one, and I hope for the best and soonest calming of things in your home.

[love2all]

many hugs to you okragirl.......
i know what you are going thru... it sucks but it will eventually end.... i was wondering if your kids are getting needles at the accupunturist or are you doing pressure? i ask because i will swear that the needles did soooooooo much good for my little guy when we were going thru this- he got his first needles at 11 weeks of age and it truly lessend the fits. he still had them for sure, every hour 24 hrs a day but the needles and herbs made the spells less severe. iwe had to resusitate him twice befre we stsrted the accupunture but afterwards his fits were never so bad as to cause him to stop breathing.
we went to the accupunturist 1-4 days a week for 4 months. every time it rains or is real wet out he gets a cough with a whoop in it BUT it is nothing likeit was when we were deep inti it- I promise mama- hang in there and it shall pass.....

morgainesmom--we choose against the antibiotics and i self-imposed 3 long months of quarrintine.... it was long and sooo boring but i was as against the antib's as i was the vax- especially because it doesn't do anything for the cough. have your friend do mega vit c. i literrally slept sitting up holding my baby for months so he could breath....and like i wrote above accupuncture was our saviour..... also i will add i am still, despite the long scarey 4 months, glad i did not vaccinate...

good luck to all
much peace-
maria

[McMichaelfish]

White Lie? You tell me.

Thank you for posting your delima. I wish I would have posted this about 8 weeks ago, because I too am in your boat. Only I put myself in a postion I kind of regret.
My husband wanted to vax, I did not. He told me if our baby boy contracted something that could have been prevented w/ vax that he would blame me. At 7 months Colby started coughing & whooping. I took him to my homeopath (sp?), he said it was the dreaded "p" word but that it wasn't contagous(?). My heart sank. Do I tell dh? Even though dh doesen't believe in the docs I go to? I just knew he would freak and probably take Colby for vax that instance. (I still can't believe we've made it this long w/ out getting vaxd).
Colby seems to be through the worst of it. He still has a haunting cough, but sounds much better. Thankfully it never got so bad that dh took it upon himself to take him to his perferd pediatrition.
I do believe this is my first secret and hopefully the last from my dh, it doesn't feel right. However, my baby is still vax free which does feel right.

Sorry about my spelling skills, is there a spell check?
AlaskaMaMa