Can immunised kids still get whooping cough

[danniellabella]

That basically sums up my question.

DD is 20 months old so she's had all her infant/toddler vaccinations and not due for any more until she's 4 years old.

Is it still possible for a child who has been immunised against it to get whooping cough?

[Lulu]

Yep. Same with any of the shots. Is she feeling ill?

[~clover~]

As far as I know, yes, but the chances are smaller.
Are you, DH & her DC carer immunised? This lessens the chances again.

[danniellabella]

DH & I aren't immunised. I don't know if her carer is.
I only ask because she's started coughing a bit at night, but I don't know if it's anything to be worried about or if her asthma is playing up so I'm trying to remember to give her her puffer.

[~clover~]

Didn't even know she had asthma. Clever aren't I!
Does she have a preventative puffer? Jaz was on Seretide at 2.

[Trillian]

Schmickers said a while ago when the last outbreak happened that where he lives they have the highest rate of vaccination, but they also had the highest number of whooping cough cases in children, so you do the math. Vaccination isn't a 100% guarantee that your child is protected. But you would know if it were that. It sounds more like it's just her asthma playing up because being spring there is a lot of pollen and dust around atm.

[Schmickers]

The whooping cough vaccine is about 90% effective at best, so 1 in 10 children who are fully immunised are still able to contract the disease. It usually starts with cough and cold type symptoms, which progresses to the classic coughing paroxysms. Immunised children sometimes develop milder symptoms, and babies might not have the "whoop" at the end of the cough, but they will often have a post-coughing vomit.