Whooping Cough question?

[*EJ*]

My mum has just called me to say there's a possability she has whooping cough.

She has had to have a blood test and possibly an chest x-ray (i'm not certain because as soon as she said whooping cough i wasn't really listening and was thinking of my children) to know for sure but it's likely.

All three of my children are immunised as well as DH and I. Are we all ok? Her Dr has said we are but i'm still a little worried. At the moment my children are fine and healthy. My mum was here this afternoon before her appt but was cautious of not getting too close to the kids, although she did have a hug with DD.

Even if we don't get it ourselves can we carry it without knowing it?

May be silly questions i'm sorry

I'm just frustrated at her, would you believe that her immunisation is sitting IN MY FRIDGE!!!

There was a delay last year some time in actually being able to get it and when she finally had the chance to get it she was umming and arrhhing about whether or not to go get it, she was living with us at the time and when i heard her possibly going to say NO i butted in and told her to TAKE IT. And it's sat in my fridge since, it could be close to year that it's sat there, who knows if it's even in date anymore

So a bit of a vent in there also i'm sorry but can i be assured that this is what we have immunisations for and we will not need to be worried about it at all?

[willow5]

Hi EJ, basically no you guys are not all clear even though you've had the vaccination. It is not 100% effective and does not cover all strains of whooping cough. At the moment there is quite a lot of the strain not covered by the vac around so it may not have mattered that your mum didn't have her vac because it may be a different strain anyway.

Be sensible, get your mum to keep her distance until she knows for sure, which you really should do with kids/babies when you're not well anyway.

Hope she doesn't have WC and feels better soon

[*EJ*]

Thanks Willow. Not very reasuring is it with regards to vacinating and thinking everything should be ok?

Will keep our distance for a while i think. And keep a close eye on my little ones.

Thank you

[Tinks]

Whooping cough is a notifiable disease. If your mum does have it the dr will notify the health dept and they will get in touch with her and give her all the information she will need about the disease, she will also be able to ask them any questions she has. They may even get in touch with you seeing as she was around your kids and they are so young.

[LizLemon]

Has your mum had much contact with the kids before this afternoon? How long has she been sick for? I have heard varying info on contagious periods, from 4-5 days (from onset of cold symptoms) to up to 3 weeks, so you might be able to work out whether there is a likelihood of it being passed on. And as Willow said, the current vaccine is only 85% effective.

Be on the look out for cold symptoms first, and maybe just stay away from any really small bubbas until your mum gets her test back.

I really hope it's not WC or if it is that your family hasn't caught it

[Arcadia]

Hope the dr gives her the all clear

[*EJ*]

Thanks ladies.

My mum spent the day with us 2 fridays ago and as far as i know she was fine. I then spoke to her on the phone this Thursday and she sounded and felt sick again. This morning she was saying she woke up at 1am and had half an hour coughing/chocking fit and she is sweating like crazy. I saw her yesterday and today. DS1 has had a very slight clear runny nose since late last week but seems ok in himself i think. The other two are fine.

I suppose we'll just have to see what the results come back as and take it from there. We're not personally in contact with any young bubbas at the moment but will be sure to keep our distance if we do happen to see any.

I hope it comes back as negative and she's just got a horrible flu. I hope everyone around me stays healthy

Thanks again ladies.

[~ Mylitta ~]

Hi EJ, basically no you guys are not all clear even though you've had the vaccination. It is not 100% effective and does not cover all strains of whooping cough. At the moment there is quite a lot of the strain not covered by the vac around so it may not have mattered that your mum didn't have her vac because it may be a different strain anyway.

Be sensible, get your mum to keep her distance until she knows for sure, which you really should do with kids/babies when you're not well anyway.

Hope she doesn't have WC and feels better soon

Couldn't have said it better myself. A couple of years back my two step sons both got whooping cough despite being "fully" vaccinated. One had a nasty lingering cough for 3-4 months. Evenmy vaccinated husband got a mild cough which was probably whooping cough. Myself and my son are not vaccinated for whooping cough, and neither of us caught it at all. When we questions the doctors as to why the vaccinated kids caught it, we were told the most common strain of whooping cough around at the moment is not covered at all by the vaccination, and therefore the vaccinated kids actually had no immunity to it. It's possible that at some stage I had this strain of whooping cough and developed immunity to it which I passed on to my son through my breastmilk...

[*EJ*]

That's really interesting Mylitta. I have never really questioned immunisations before but i do understand how some have different beliefs and choose otherwise. Especially when you explain your circumstance.

I still shake my head at my mother's doctor's attitude that 'everyone will be fine' when quite obviously that's not the case whether you are immunised or not. He should know better. And my mum believes him before anyone else

Anyway thankfully everyone seems to be fine

[Tegam]

How'd your kids go? Did they get sick?

[*EJ*]

All is good and mum has finally cleared up aswell. I think the test came back as not WC but Dr said that was a possability even if she did have it. Don't know why... So don't really know if it was WC or not now. Thanks for checking on us

[Tegam]

Couldn't have said it better myself. A couple of years back my two step sons both got whooping cough despite being "fully" vaccinated. One had a nasty lingering cough for 3-4 months. Evenmy vaccinated husband got a mild cough which was probably whooping cough. Myself and my son are not vaccinated for whooping cough, and neither of us caught it at all. When we questions the doctors as to why the vaccinated kids caught it, we were told the most common strain of whooping cough around at the moment is not covered at all by the vaccination, and therefore the vaccinated kids actually had no immunity to it. It's possible that at some stage I had this strain of whooping cough and developed immunity to it which I passed on to my son through my breastmilk...

Mylittia. That's amazing. I started a thread this morning asking people experience with kids that had whooping cough. It looks like we will be the same. The two kids vaxx'd have it but the two not haven't got it. Weird!