Whooping Cough.. ARGH SERIOUSLY!

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Mum just called, my brother was sick with a bit of a cough while we were there, they thought it was a bit of asthma... guess what NOT ASTHMA.. he had WHOOPING COUGH!

Both of the girls have had their needles and are up to date, i have had my booster but what are the chances they could still get it?
The incubation period is about a week so they would start showings signs about NOW!
Brother was holding Z a bit

Damn i have just realised DP hasn't had a booster, what are the chances he will get it? ARGH!

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Spoke to DP and he's not phased, can whooping cough in adults be serious??

[AndiE]

I've known a couple of adults who've had it, and they both said they felt like they'd crack a rib because of the major coughing episodes. One in particular reckoned it wasn't a nice thing to go through at all. Still, I imagine most adults get through it without major worries or complications (... but I honestly don't know how serious it can be with adults).

From our perspective (ie, mums of young kids) it's probably more to do with adults passing it on unaware they've got it. I saw last night where a five week old bub in Adelaide has died in past few days because he/she contracted whooping cough. Too young to be immunised, poor dear and bub's poor parents

Hope your brother is OK and your DP doesn't get it either.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Thanks, what makes me ANGRY is i have asked DP to get the booster, he's very time poor and i know it's not his fault but if he gets it.. argh.
Both girls are up to date with immunisations so am hoping they don't pass it on, will have to keep him away from my PG friend, don't need her getting sick.

[AndiE]

Men can be a bit ambivalent (or just wussy) about immunisations, can't they. It took a bit of prodding, but I got my DH to have his whooping cough booster after DS2 was born last Dec. At the same time I gave him a little push to have the chicken pox vac because he hasn't had it and you hear some nasty stories about adults contracting chicken pox.

I'm sure your girls will be totally fine, but I daresay it's a good idea to keep your friend out of coughing range of your DP till you know if he's got it, or not. Good excuse for you to go out for a coffee or lunch with her while DP spends some quality time with your girls

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I'm sure your girls will be totally fine, but I daresay it's a good idea to keep you're friend out of coughing range of your DP till you know if he's got it, or not. Good excuse for you to go out for a coffee or lunch with her while DP spends some quality time with your girls

Haha not a chance DD2 wont stay with anyone else and it's ok i will be seeing her while he's at work... if only though

[Pandora]

My brother had it in primary school, and 2 gps and 2 paeds misdiagnosed it as asthma before they finally got it right. His batch of immunizations were later found to have been faulty.

In adults you don't always get the classic sounding cough, a work colleague had it and said she felt like shed been hit by a truck.

I hope your partner and girls don't have it.

[Yeddi]

It depends what strain your brother has. The new Whooping Cough vaccine is synthetic as opposed to the pre-2005 whole cell vaccine and misses two of the strains.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

It depends what strain your brother has. The new Whooping Cough vaccine is synthetic as opposed to the pre-2005 whole cell vaccine and misses two of the strains.

Are you serious, how do i know what strain her has and what ones are missed in the new vac?

[Pandora]

Zf they should know from a blood test. Your council immunization nurse or gp would be the best people to ask I'd say

[Yeddi]

Are you serious, how do i know what strain her has and what ones are missed in the new vac?

The only way to know what strain he has is through a blood test. The two strains no longer covered by the vaccine are MT27 and MT70. Honestly, there isn't much you can do about it now if they have been exposed, just keep an eye out for symptoms like you would generally.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

The only way to know what strain he has is through a blood test. The two strains no longer covered by the vaccine are MT27 and MT70. Honestly, there isn't much you can do about it now if they have been exposed, just keep an eye out for symptoms like you would generally.

Ok thanks, i will ask mum if he had a blood test and what the strain was... atleast then i will know if i have to be extra careful... damn it.. sooo not what we need right now.

[Kitt3n]

From my understanding the vax is around 70% effective, your kids could still catch it but if they have been exposed to strains that they have been immunised against it will probably be less serious. Apparently there is another, newer strain going around that is not in the current vax's.

Are you BF'ing your youngest? If you are I would keep that up, offering her as much as possible.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Called mum and she has no idea what strain argh
I am BFing DD2 but the booster i had is the same as theirs so really if it's the different strain that leaves ALL of us open to it...

[Ozziehoffy]

I hope it misses you all hun.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Me too.. am watching the girls like a hawk.. so bad for my nerves!
Ava thinks it's a funny joke to cough then say OH NO COUGH cos then Z copies... argh kids i love you but really... no fake coughs PLEASE!

[Yeddi]

Me too.. am watching the girls like a hawk.. so bad for my nerves!
Ava thinks it's a funny joke to cough then say OH NO COUGH cos then Z copies... argh kids i love you but really... no fake coughs PLEASE!

The cough is only a later symptom. Look out for runny noses, fever, sneezing and loss of appetite (you know all the things that look like hay fever as we head further into spring... doh!). If you get concerned, your GP can do a swab to test for it, and put them on a dose of antibiotics early if they do have it which will greatly reduce the severity.