thread: Can immunised kids still get whooping cough

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    where cosmopolitans and margaritas flow all night
    2,794

    Can immunised kids still get whooping cough

    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?

  2. #2
    Lucy in the sky with diamonds.

    Jan 2005
    Funky Town, Vic
    7,070

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

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Add ~clover~ on Facebook

    Sep 2007
    travelling
    9,557

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

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    where cosmopolitans and margaritas flow all night
    2,794

    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.

  5. #5
    Registered User
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    Sep 2007
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    Didn't even know she had asthma. Clever aren't I!
    Does she have a preventative puffer? Jaz was on Seretide at 2.

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    In Bankworld with Barbara
    14,222

    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.

  7. #7
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber
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    Jan 2006
    Port Macquarie, NSW
    1,443

    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.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    in a super happy place!
    1,008

    Yes they can! My DS has has all his immunisations and recently also had whooping cough. It was awful. He was sick for about 6 weeks all up. I took him to the drs and they initally though he has asthma, then 2 days later I got a call from my doctor, saying "Please bring him back. I've been thinking about him and thought I should test him for whooping cough as there has been alot of reported cases in this area". Sure enough that's what he had. He was put onto medication which initally cleared it up, but then it came back.
    The doctor said he would have a milder form of it but I would really hate to see a child that was serverly sick with it - it was horrible .

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    where cosmopolitans and margaritas flow all night
    2,794

    Thanks for the responses. I don't think I hear a whoop type of sound when she coughs so I think it must be allergies agrovating asthma.

    Skye: She hasn't officially been diagnosed with asthma, but is showing all the symptoms (then again, the doctor said that majority of children in Australia, particularlly SA have symptoms of asthma due to the climate). She is on preventative medication which helps with the wheezing

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    In Bankworld with Barbara
    14,222

    then it's possibly not an asthma issue but an allergy one? Do you think she could get hayfever? I know when I get really wheezy with hayfever I feel like coughing all the time like I need to clear my throat and need ventolin to help open my throat again.

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    Newcastle, NSW
    4,219

    Yes they can.

    I had whooping cough when I was pregnant with Anelise, and my children had it also and they're all fully immunised.
    The thing that most people don't realise is that the 'whoop' isn't the sound of the cough... it is a normalish sounding cough but the whoop happens at the end when you're trying to get your breath back (if that makes sense), I always expected that it would be a whoopy sounding cough, but it is the sound at the end... it is an awful thing to get and I like to think that my kids didn't get it as severely as I did as their immunisations are up to date whereas I needed a booster.

    Fingers crossed your DD doesn't have it

  12. #12
    Registered User

    May 2009
    1

    Yes!
    My sister was vaccinated and got a really bad case of it, almost killed her as no one believe it was whooping cough and did not treat her for ages.

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    where cosmopolitans and margaritas flow all night
    2,794

    Forgot about this. I certainly don't think it's whooping cough. When she starts coughing I just give her the ventolin and she's fine.