Pertussis Questions and Concerns

[Symbi]

Does anyone know what is the likelihood of an unvaccinated child contracting pertussis? I know it is a common disease, but if you don't vaccinate for it, does it seem you will pretty much get it at one point or another--is it just a matter of time?

Any unvaccinated families out there who have NOT had this disease among their children?

Also, I have heard the pertussis vaccine does not prevent infection or transmission. Does anyone know of sources that back this up? Is it true?

Thanks so much. I am pretty new here and have already learned so much just reading through the threads here.

[Peony]

I would say that it's not a guarantee but pertussis is common, it's not a rare disease like some think. It's highly unreported so the numbers are off. When we had it, out of the 4 of us, only one case was reported to the health dept.
If your child is over 6m-1y then it's more of a PIA then a danger BTW.

[kiara7]

This is from the archives:


Here's a link to a study that discusses (among other things) the fact that they believe that children (even young, recently vaccinated children) can be silent transmitters of pertussis.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol6no5/pdf/srugo.pdf

Quote (page 3 of 4: Conclusion first paragraph)bolding mine

The effects of whole-cell pertussis vaccine wane after 5 to 10 years, and infection in a vaccinated person causes nonspecific symptoms (3-7). Vaccinated adolescents and adults may serve as reservoirs for silent infection and become potential transmitters to unprotected infants (3-11). The whole-cell vaccine for pertussis is protective only against clinical disease, not against infection (15-17). Therefore, even young, recently vaccinated children may serve as reservoirs and potential transmitters of
infection.

[SeaBean]

Originally Posted by kiara7

Here's a link to a study that discusses (among other things) the fact that they believe that children (even young, recently vaccinated children) can be silent transmitters of pertussis.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol6no5/pdf/srugo.pdf

Quote (page 3 of 4: Conclusion first paragraph)bolding mine

UGH! This frightens me. I don't want to vaccinate my LO at least until 2 years, but maybe not at all.. but I am scared of her getting things from my friends' kids! A couple years ago, before we even thought of having kids, my husband and I, and my 2 friends all got rotavirus from my friends' recently vaccinated baby. (The baby was the only one of us without intestinal distress) It only lasted a day or two but it was NO FUN AT ALL. That stuck with me and that's when I started researching vaccines.

Nothing useful to add here.. this is also the only vaccine I am scared to skip. I just hate to think of this little baby coughing for a month. I actually think I had undiagnosed pertussis about 6 years ago.. I had a cough for a month without the whoop. It was annoying (mostly to others!) but not terrible. I'm guessing WC might be harder on me than it would be on the baby (after 6 months i guess).

[Full Heart]

WC is very communicable. The odds are good that ANYONE will get it , vaxed or not. The vax is not very effective. Its underreported and often misdiagnosed. So we have a good chance of coming in contact with it wether we know it or not.

We've all had it here and my youngest was 12 mos at the time.

[catters]

Well, I am sitting here with Pertussis right now. It is awful. Nothing like coughing so hard you puke. My DS (15 months) has had two rounds of the vaccine and so far he's been good. I have no doubt my vax wore off years and years ago. Anyway, not that that helps or anything, but yeah, people get it. So... I guess right now I'm glad my DS has the vax, but I know its not reliable, etc. Nothing is black and white, obviously.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Symbi

Also, I have heard the pertussis vaccine does not prevent infection or transmission. Does anyone know of sources that back this up? Is it true?

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...nes-work/dtap/

The vaccine does not prevent you from getting the bacteria, it just attempts to keep the bacteria from proliferating and producing the toxin that makes you ill.

My two year old had it and passed it to me when I was 5.5 months pregnant. My case was much worse and we were both up to date on the vax.

How badly you are affected depends on your general health and the state of your immune system. My son was bf and on a healthy diet (though we had just been on a plane from a TX to NY in February and his schedule was all wonky). I was dealing with the death of my father (lots of stress), the weakened immune system of pregnancy, and already fighting Strep passed on from my niece. Oh, I forgot; I first caught what may have been the norovirus and spent the better part of a day in the hospital (I thought I had food poisoning, but the hospital said nope, virus), then came down with the Strep about four days later, and Pertussis a week and a half after that. I rarely get sick and only had one brief "flu like illness" in my first pregnancy.