NOW ITs PERTUSSIS | Imamother

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 9:48 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

You have it partially right. Silent carriers are vaccinated, get mild or no symptoms, and can pass the illness to others just as easily as a symptomatic person would.

But here's the thing - who is the silent carrier catching pertussis from? Either from other silent carriers, or from other unvaccinated people.

Which is the same thing as saying ANYONE can be a carrier.

Nothing sprouts by itself automatically. It exists already in the world. Unvaccinated individuals don't brew it in their bodies and because of that, it gets spread.

It exists. Everywhere. Some places in more abundance, some in less. But it's spread by everyone. It really has little to do with vaccination status when discussing transmission (and actually there is even suspicion that vaccinated individuals spread it more since they don't realize they have it.)

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 9:51 pm

gold21 wrote:

Antibiotics does not cure pertussis the same way it cures strep and ear infections. It can help alleviate symptoms but it's not a cure.

If it is caught early enough before stage of toxins attacking cilia, the antibiotics actually can stop the horribleness of pertussis. But this usually only happens when you know you were exposed to someone else diagnosed with pertussis -- because the most telling symptoms are not from the bacteria itself (which the abx takes care of) but the toxins created.

gande

Fri, Dec 21 2018, 3:07 am

This vaccine is given to infants as early as 8 weeks because it is the babies specifically for whom it is dangerous for. My neighbor's baby had it because she delayed shots and he stopped breathing a few times. He is developmentally delayed and I am pretty sure that this is the reason for this.

amother

Coffee

Sun, Dec 23 2018, 2:33 pm

The pertussis vaccine wears off more quickly than most people expect. After 7 years you are not considered fully protected but the vax is recommended every 10 years.

In addition important information that you may not know EVEN IF YOU GOT PERTUSSIS YOU CAN GET IT AGAIN!

Meaning all those people who say if I get the actual disease then I’m protected for life instead of dealing with boosters wearing off, its not true!! The immunity from the disease also wears off!

Hashem_Yaazor

Sun, Dec 23 2018, 5:01 pm

gande wrote:

My 3 yo got it at 2 weeks old. She did have episodes of turning blue (I would blow on to her to get her to start breathing again) but BA"H she's very advanced in just about everything.

(Not saying pertussis isn't something to avoid -- I am just putting out hope for any parent who does have a baby suffer through this. I was petrified because of all the doom I heard from people around me that weight gain is brain gain as she was struggling to grow because of the calories expended on coughing/throwing up. I just want to give hope that it doesn't have to have negative effects forever. I had to wait a couple of years to see for myself that she is really perfectly fine and I wish I had known earlier that I wouldn't have to worry!)

nchr

Sun, Dec 23 2018, 8:24 pm

Redbird wrote:

Pertussis is horrific, and outbreaks are relatively common.

I do delayed/selective vaccines, but this one I give to my infants. (even though its a scary vaccine.)

What does scary vaccine mean? It has been made more tolerable in the acellular DTaP form instead of the older DTP which resulted in more reactions but stronger longer lasting immunity. Is the scary referring to the older DTP?

groisamomma

Sun, Dec 23 2018, 8:37 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

The bolded got me thinking...one of my dds is very small for her age. We spent her early years listening to her wracking coughs through long nights and watching her turn colors trying to catch her breath between coughs. Hours and hours on a nightly basis in and out of the shower heat, nebulizing her to open her airways and pumping her with steroids until she would bloat but at least the coughing and gagging would cease. I can’t count how many times she vomited from her whole body shaking violently from the coughing. Now I’m wondering if that’s why she’s the smallest in her class! We always tease her that she forgot to grow. It never occurred to me that that might be the cause!

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Dec 24 2018, 9:17 pm

No, my daughter only struggled while actively coughing. She chunked up just fine as soon as she was over her coughing fits. Absolutely no long lasting damage at all. I wouldn't chalk it up to coughing as a baby. She's totally on par with the rest of my kids (who, incidentally, are all the smallest in their classes Wink

and she may not be the smallest in her class, I'm not sure...there are a couple of tiny 3 yos still Very Happy

)

However short we are, she's still fitting into size 4 even though she just turned 3. As she gets leaner as a preschooler, she won't be a size ahead of her age!