Visiting area with pertussis outbreak

[loraxc]

Okay, first, no flames please.

DS is 6 months old and has received his first DTAP shot, but no more. He has some health issues that we don't yet understand and his ped recommended we suspend vaxing for now. We are about to travel to a small island, Whidbey Island, WA, where at least 74 cases of pertussis have been reported lately. We will be getting there on a ferry. What is his level of protection with only one vax, and what precautions should we take, if any?

[MissRubyandKen]

Well you can look at the specific package inserts for the manufacturers' claimed efficacy. I think you'd be looking for Infantrix. I believe their studies go by 3 doses though. Vit C, plenty of rest, and breastfeeding, or not going at all would be my recommendations.

[Mirzam]

The pertussis part of the DTaP (well all of it) doesn't prevent a child from getting the disease, it just protects it from the toxin, so supposedly that means if the child contracts whooping cough they get a milder case. As you are worried, keep him close to you ie in a sling in public and consider dosing yourself up with sodium ascorbate (vit C). If you do a search in this forum and and the health and healing forum on sodium ascorbate you will have plenty of info. This article might be of help.

Enjoy your trip!

[MissRubyandKen]

Keeping baby close in public is good advice. And of course not allowing anyone who is coughing to hold baby. Also just wanted to say that statistically at 6 months old baby is past the age for the worst likelihood of complications from pertussis.

[MCKH]

I would either not go or be extremely cautious about who is around your child (i.e. no little kids, no one who is sick or is living in a home with someone sick, etc.) be vigilant about hand-washing.

[mamadelbosque]

From what I understand about pertusis I wouldn't worry. Honestly, as I understand it (from what I've read), pertussis EVERYWHERE - its just not usually diagnosed cause' everybody's vaxed, so of course they can't get it :eyeroll. So, I assume that me and DH and DS have been exposed dozens of times and we've been fine. Just do what you normally do - wash your hands, try not to let sick people hold/touch him, nurse, etc. But thats me and my highly unparanoid self...

[EVC]

Sodium ascorbate. I believe (and someone please correct me if I am wrong), if your son is EBF, you can take regular high doses yourself and it will be passed on to him in your BM.