Whooping Cough.

[MistyJ]

My dear friend does not vaccinate. Her two children are about 4 or 5 weeks into having whooping cough. Her daughter has it quite bad; the whole family is losing sleep dueo to her terrible coughing fits at night.

 

Question: My friend's dd is my daughter's best friend. My daughter, 10, has been vaccinated. Is there any danger of my daughter contracting it? (We have kept them apart the last couple of weeks; my daughter was certainly exposed during the highly contagious first two weeks. They are moving soon, and I'd like the girls to be able to play.)

[qfbrenda]

Yes, she can get it. Her daughter should be quarantined for 3 weeks from the beginning of the cough, or after taking a round of antibiotics. (Edited... sorry, I see they are past the quarantine period. Call your local health dept for advice. We were told 3 weeks from the onset of coughing, or after antibiotics.)

 

We just got done with whooping cough at my house. One of my kids got it while the others got a mild case of it. The ones that had a mild case or barely were sick at all had had a booster shot within 6-12 months. The one who got the full blown case had been fully vaccinated for it as a baby/toddler, but hasn't had a booster. He is almost 9 yrs.

 

Other families at church also got it. Some of the kids were vaccinated while others were not. The ones that were the sickest had been vaccinated years before, but hadn't had a booster shot recently.

 

If I were you, I would consider antibiotics for your daughter as a preventative measure since she's been exposed. Our whole family had to take them.

[FaithManor]

I would keep them apart. There are many factors to consider:

 

1. Your daughter has immunity against the strain that the other child has contacted and will be safe.

 

2. Your daughter does not have immunity for one of two reasons:

a. Since many vaccines only confer 80-85% immunity she may fall into the camp of children who is not fully immune.

b. The other child has contracted a mutated form of the virus.

 

3. If your daughter has not yet completed the full cycle of DTAP, then she won't have full immunity yet.

 

Some health practitioners are also calling for whooping cough boosters for adults as they are becoming aware that it is not immunity for a life time - after long periods, the white blood celles/t-cells "forget".

 

A daycare up our direction had a terrible break-out of pertusis and this was amongst children with a 100% vaccination rate - the owner refused to take un-vaxed kids....it was determined that they had been exposed to a mutated form and therefore did not have full immunity. Most of the kids came along pretty well but two adults working with the kids were hospitalized because their immunity had worn off.

 

I take a very conservative, as in "better safe than sorry", approach to deliberately exposing any child to a communicable disease other than colds which are pretty much impossible to avoid.

 

Faith

[Geek]

The ones that were the sickest had been vaccinated years before, but hadn't had a booster shot recently.

Even sicker than the children who hadn't been vaccinated?

[qfbrenda]

Even sicker than the children who hadn't been vaccinated?

 

At least in the one family, yes. In one of the families, none of them are vaccinated. In the one family who has vaccinated and unvaccinated kids, the vaccinated were sicker than the unvaccinated. I have no idea why, and I'm not suggesting any kind of causation. It's just interesting, though anecdotal.

[Matryoshka]

At least in the one family, yes. In one of the families, none of them are vaccinated. In the one family who has vaccinated and unvaccinated kids, the vaccinated were sicker than the unvaccinated. I have no idea why, and I'm not suggesting any kind of causation. It's just interesting, though anecdotal.

 

I'm pretty sure two of my kids had whooping cough (pertussis) a couple of years ago. They were not vaccinated on Dr's advice (they got the DT) because of another medical condition.

 

I never thought it might be pertussis till one of them was still coughing a couple of months later. They weren't that sick. One of them (the one who got it first) didn't even cough that long. They did have coughing "fits", and both threw up once from them, but just the one time. Most of the coughing was at night.

 

Three things lead me to think it was pertussis, only in retrospect. One was the length of the cough for one of them. I did take her to the dr. when it persisted - the guess was a sinus infection with post-nasal drip causing the cough - the second thing is that the antibiotics she got did *nothing* to help (after the first stage with pertussis, the cough is not diminished by antibiotics), and then it cleared up spontaneously right at three months.

 

But the most telling... one of my dd's friends seem to have gotten it from her - same long-lasting coughing fits (also not terribly sick otherwise). My friend (the mom) took her to dr. and her dr. did a pertussis test for jollies. It finally came back way after the contagion period was over - positive for pertussis. That friend was vaccinated, btw.

 

No one else in my family (my other dd is also not vaccinated), nor friend's family (vaccinated but old enough that it was probably wearing off) got it.

 

Pertussis is the opposite of chicken pox in that it becomes progressively less serious the older one gets. In adults, it may be mistaken for a simple cold. It is not fatal for anyone past infancy, although it can make some kids pretty sick and it does last for 3 months average if you don't catch it in the earliest period (pretty much before the cough has started).

[StephanieZ]

Whooping cough is apparently much more common in (vaccinated) adults than one would have guessed. I had a bad, very lengthy, cough w/ cold last year. . . about 6 - 8 weeks of *severe* coughing. My BFF who is a hospitalist/pediatrician told me I had pertussis. I'd never have guessed. I guess she and other pediatricians/nurses get boosters regularly as a matter of course. She diagnosed me mostly based on the fact that my severe cough lasted so darn long.

[Joanne]

Yes, it is one of the least effective vaccines.

[teamturner]

The way I understand Pertussis is if the sick person takes the antibiotic they are no longer contagious. I would recommend your dd take the antibiotic. I had 3 of my 4 dc contract Pertussis two years ago and the rest of our family (along with the sick ones) took the antibiotic just in case. And I don't take antibiotics lightly.

[SonshineLearner]

Did she get antibiotics? I got it right away with my little guy and myself.... my older did not get it till later... as the DR didn't know what she had... (she was not vaccinated, you would think her symptoms obvious... oh well) Anyway, antibiotics made ALL the difference..... Sometimes DRs forget how to treat some of these things...

 

You might ask about it for your friend's sake... and her kids... My oldest took about 4 months to get over it... we took less than a month...

 

Your daughter could get it as vaccines do not necessarily immune. If she gets it, for some reason, get antibiotics RIGHT away, and it's not too bad... at least of us.

 

I wouldn't keep them away, unless you have something that would make it life threatening. I actually feel better that my kids have lifelong immunity now. (I was vaccinated as a child... and still got it... since I don't do boosters for those things ....)

[Tap]

I had pertussis a few years ago, and there is no way I would allow my kid to play with someone who could still be contagious. It took me 6mths to get rid of it, I had several weeks off of work and have decreased lung function now, years later. I was exhausted for 6mths, I could barely function for several months, and had a hacking, choking cough for 6 full months. There are cases that are not this bad, but there are a lot of people who do get it this bad.

 

It was horrible, and I wouldn't take a chance of my child getting exposed and bringing it into the house if I could avoid it so simply. I know you can get it anywhere, but that isn't the point. This girl is a known carrier, and is possibly contagious. I wouldn't risk it. It was HORRIBLE for me.

 

And then if you or your family gets it, you have quarantine time each time someone gets the symptoms.

[Osmosis Mom]

I'm pretty sure two of my kids had whooping cough (pertussis) a couple of years ago. They were not vaccinated on Dr's advice (they got the DT) because of another medical condition.

 

I never thought it might be pertussis till one of them was still coughing a couple of months later. They weren't that sick. One of them (the one who got it first) didn't even cough that long. They did have coughing "fits", and both threw up once from them, but just the one time. Most of the coughing was at night.

 

Three things lead me to think it was pertussis, only in retrospect. One was the length of the cough for one of them. I did take her to the dr. when it persisted - the guess was a sinus infection with post-nasal drip causing the cough - the second thing is that the antibiotics she got did *nothing* to help (after the first stage with pertussis, the cough is not diminished by antibiotics), and then it cleared up spontaneously right at three months.

 

But the most telling... one of my dd's friends seem to have gotten it from her - same long-lasting coughing fits (also not terribly sick otherwise). My friend (the mom) took her to dr. and her dr. did a pertussis test for jollies. It finally came back way after the contagion period was over - positive for pertussis. That friend was vaccinated, btw.

 

No one else in my family (my other dd is also not vaccinated), nor friend's family (vaccinated but old enough that it was probably wearing off) got it.

 

Pertussis is the opposite of chicken pox in that it becomes progressively less serious the older one gets. In adults, it may be mistaken for a simple cold. It is not fatal for anyone past infancy, although it can make some kids pretty sick and it does last for 3 months average if you don't catch it in the earliest period (pretty much before the cough has started).

 

I had pertussis as a teen and just coughed for a few months. My infant son contracted it at 2 weeks and we almost lost him at 5 weeks. Pertussis is not a joke for infants.

[Matryoshka]

My infant son contracted it at 2 weeks and we almost lost him at 5 weeks. Pertussis is not a joke for infants.

 

:iagree: The only reason they don't vaccinate infants for this is that the vaccine is too dangerous for them. They vaccinate toddlers because that was the main vector for infants getting the disease - toddlers or older kids bringing it home. If/when the vaccine wears off, an older person may get sick, even very sick, but it's not fatal. But many infants used to die from pertussis.

 

I also want to say that if I'd had any inkling that my kids might have even possibly had pertussis, I would've isolated them and gotten them antibiotics immediately. I don't think it's something one should pass around or take lightly. As a PP pointed out, while it tends to be milder in older people, it can also be very nasty and it's almost always long-lasting.

Edited July 5, 2010 by matroyshka

[Perry]

:iagree: The only reason they don't vaccinate infants for this is that the vaccine is too dangerous for them.

 

The do vaccinate infants. DTaP is started at 2 months, then repeated at 4, 6, and 15 months. It takes awhile for immunity to appear. They don't vaccinate newborns because it doesn't work until they are a few weeks old.

 

Early studies with whole cell pertussis vaccine given alone or combined with diphtheria and tetanus vaccines within the first 24 hours of life demonstrated safety, without any signs of erythema, infiltration, fever, irritability, vomiting or anorexia [24]. However, pertussis immunization at birth resulted in serologically inadequate responses and blunting of booster responses to pertussis in 75% of study subjects until 5 months of age, suggestive of antigen-specific “immunologic paralysis†or tolerance induced by the immunization. This failure was believed to be independent of any effects of MatAb, as these were low or undetectable. In contrast, immunization at 3 weeks of age resulted in adequate serologic response [24].

 

[Mommyfaithe]

My dear friend does not vaccinate. Her two children are about 4 or 5 weeks into having whooping cough. Her daughter has it quite bad; the whole family is losing sleep dueo to her terrible coughing fits at night.

 

Question: My friend's dd is my daughter's best friend. My daughter, 10, has been vaccinated. Is there any danger of my daughter contracting it? (We have kept them apart the last couple of weeks; my daughter was certainly exposed during the highly contagious first two weeks. They are moving soon, and I'd like the girls to be able to play.)

 

Actually, yes. My kids were ALL vacinnated except one dd who was partially vaxed. My df dd's were not vaxed. My kids all contracted whooping cough due to being in close contact with teens who had it. My df's kids did not get it :001_huh: even though they were in close contact daily with all my kids until they were actually diagnosed.

 

It was really weird! Pertussis was absolutely HORRIBLE!!! One of my kids escaped it...guess his vax's actually worked, but the other kids have since had all sorts of issues with asthma and pneumonia ever since.

 

Oh, it is really...really important for teens to have that booster vax at 11 or 12.

 

Faithe

 

PS, i hope you escape cough free...BUT if not, get those kids to the doc at once. My youngest caught it after the others were diagnosed and was on an anti-biotic within 24 hours. His never got to be worse than a mild cold.

 

Faithe

[Matryoshka]

The do vaccinate infants. DTaP is started at 2 months, then repeated at 4, 6, and 15 months. It takes awhile for immunity to appear. They don't vaccinate newborns because it doesn't work until they are a few weeks old.

 

Ah - thanks for the clarification, Perry. By "infants" I guess I was thinking they don't give it to newborns in the hospital like they try with HepB - considering those first two months are about the most dangerous time to catch it, I guess I conflated the reasoning behind that with the pertussis vaccine being known to have higher side effects (especially before the acellualar version). But I jumped to a conclusion!

[Osmosis Mom]

:iagree: The only reason they don't vaccinate infants for this is that the vaccine is too dangerous for them. They vaccinate toddlers because that was the main vector for infants getting the disease - toddlers or older kids bringing it home. If/when the vaccine wears off, an older person may get sick, even very sick, but it's not fatal. But many infants used to die from pertussis.

 

I also want to say that if I'd had any inkling that my kids might have even possibly had pertussis, I would've isolated them and gotten them antibiotics immediately. I don't think it's something one should pass around or take lightly. As a PP pointed out, while it tends to be milder in older people, it can also be very nasty and it's almost always long-lasting.

 

We were in Japan then and they actually vaccinated at 6 weeks. Ds had contracted it at 2 weeks of age from a school-aged kid; pertussis was very common I discovered in Japan.

[qfbrenda]

I actually feel better that my kids have lifelong immunity now. (I was vaccinated as a child... and still got it... since I don't do boosters for those things ....)

According to what I've been reading the last couple of weeks, there is no way to get lifetime immunity from whooping cough. :glare: Ugh.

[Perry]

According to what I've been reading the last couple of weeks, there is no way to get lifetime immunity from whooping cough. :glare: Ugh.

:iagree:

 

Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2005 May;24(5 Suppl):S58-61.

Duration of immunity against pertussis after natural infection or vaccination.

 

Wendelboe AM, Van Rie A, Salmaso S, Englund JA.

Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. awendelboe@unc.edu

Abstract

 

Despite decades of high vaccination coverage, pertussis has remained endemic and reemerged as a public health problem in many countries in the past 2 decades. Waning of vaccine-induced immunity has been cited as one of the reasons for the observed epidemiologic trend. 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. Further research into the rate of waning of vaccine-acquired immunity will help determine the optimal timing and frequency of booster immunizations and their role in pertussis control.

 

 

[SonshineLearner]

OOps.... guess I was wrong, I thought that's what the DR said... Oh well.... hopefully we won't get it again... but we'll grab antibiotics if we do.... straight away..... At least for us.... as soon as we get antibiotics.... we were on our way to well.

 

:)

[oraetstudia]

Pertussis vaccines wear off, but actually contracting pertussis doesn't even give a life long immunity.

 

It's a nasty illness to have and long, long lasting. Although we do vaccinate, one of my children got it when she was three months old from a grown up a church, who "felt fine but had a lingering cough." Our daughter narrowly escaped being hospitalized and was choked up and coughing for a long time -- and the rest of the family went on antibiotics as a preventative measure and did not get it.

[RanchGirl]

I know several children who were diagnosed with whooping cough around age 6, all were vaccinated. My kids didn't get it, or if they did it was very mild.

[NorthwestMom]

I had pertussis as a teen and just coughed for a few months. My infant son contracted it at 2 weeks and we almost lost him at 5 weeks. Pertussis is not a joke for infants.

 

I have a relative who contracted it as a 6 week-old infant from his brothers. He has brain damage and it ruined his life.

[Mommyof4ks]

I had pertussis a few years ago, and there is no way I would allow my kid to play with someone who could still be contagious. It took me 6mths to get rid of it, I had several weeks off of work and have decreased lung function now, years later. I was exhausted for 6mths, I could barely function for several months, and had a hacking, choking cough for 6 full months. There are cases that are not this bad, but there are a lot of people who do get it this bad.

 

It was horrible, and I wouldn't take a chance of my child getting exposed and bringing it into the house if I could avoid it so simply. I know you can get it anywhere, but that isn't the point. This girl is a known carrier, and is possibly contagious. I wouldn't risk it. It was HORRIBLE for me.

 

And then if you or your family gets it, you have quarantine time each time someone gets the symptoms.

 

I have a friend that has decreased lung function and is treated with asthma meds now due to whooping cough. She had it several years ago, but she still takes meds. Yikes, the thought of my asthmatic getting WC scares me.