To remind everyone to make sure they are vaccinated against Whooping Cough is medically able to

mitogoshi · 2024-05-24T10:48:11+00:00

There's an increasing outbreak including the death of a child too young to have been vaccinated. It's particularly prevalent in Bristol, Nottingham and Cardiff currently but it isn't much lower in other cities. I had a booster a month ago when I went for travel vaccines, my gp if offering it to everyone not vaccinated in the past 10 years as a precaution. I personally know half a dozen cases since Christmas and it's a town not a city. For the young, elderly and immunocompromised this can be deadly and it's not very nice for everyone else, with a 3 week suggested isolation period, plus weeks of disrupted sleep. Protect those unable to be vaccinated or those too young to have had the 3 doses.

Unforgettablefire · 24/05/2024 21:13

songaboutjam · 24/05/2024 13:38

I can confirm whooping cough is awful, even in older children. I went to bed every night wondering if I would suffocate while I slept. A completely airless 30+ seconds of consciousness is no way to wake up.

God that sounds horrific!

Riversideandrelax · 24/05/2024 20:25

Munne257 · 24/05/2024 13:42

It was sitting on the toilet (because my pelvic floor gave up) choking on the thick mucus that was the low point for me. Cough, choke, gag for minutes at a time. At one point I was genuinely terrified I'd pass out because I couldn't get any air in other than the panicked gasps every so often. It's a combination of the worst cold of your life, drowning and vomiting, it's really really hard to explain it.

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I've passed out multiple times with it. Sometimes I don't quite lose consciousness but just lie there twitching not able to move. It's horrible.

Riversideandrelax · 24/05/2024 20:22

Allywill · 24/05/2024 12:51

Unfortunately there really isn’t any treatment. Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed if it is caught early enough but they are only to reduce the period of time you are infectious- not to treat the illness itself. The NHS deems it a “mild” illness in all but the very young so does not offer any vaccine other than those to help reduce the infection in babies. In reality it’s often very far from mild in fit and healthy adults and requires a significant period of time off work.

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If you get the antibiotics very early it can stop you developing the cough - it did with my DS. As myself and DD had been diagnosed Public health said if any other family start with symptoms (it starts off like a heavy cold) to get them to the GP for antibiotics straight away.

veryblunt · 24/05/2024 20:19

Kitkat1523 · 24/05/2024 20:05

Get you 🙄

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😀

Scaevola · 24/05/2024 20:18

NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/05/2024 20:02

Whooping cough vaccine was the antivaxxer's target pre-MMR, so lots of people didn't have despite it being available for many decades. Children died as a result.

There were difficulties with the jab in the mid-70s lasting in to the 1980s

But since then it has been completely reformulated, and I don't think there has been any controversy about the new one

The pertussis vaccine controversy in Great Britain, 1974-1986 - PubMed (nih.gov)

So if you are age about 40-50, it might be worth checking if you had it at all, and seeing if you can have a catch up if there's any uncertainty

Covidwoes · 24/05/2024 20:16

I last had the vaccine in 2020 when pregnant with DD2. Will this still offer some protection?

Riversideandrelax · 24/05/2024 20:16

We've all had Whooping cough and I just told a friend today her and her son have it. It's been awful. Worst cough ever. It has made me vomit, wee myself and faint. I'm about 8 weeks in now and feel pretty well in myself but when the cough starts up again it's really unpleasant.

I've found some people have never heard of it, even some HCPs don't know anything, especially how contagious it is! I had to be taken in an ambulance and they used no PPI. Many people are confused about the 'whoop' - it is just the sound you make in-between the rapid cough - it's a gasp for air. Many/most people don't make a, distinctive 'whoop' sound.

Kitkat1523 · 24/05/2024 20:05

veryblunt · 24/05/2024 19:53

Ive never had a jab in my life.

Get you 🙄

NeverDropYourMooncup · 24/05/2024 20:02

Whooping cough vaccine was the antivaxxer's target pre-MMR, so lots of people didn't have despite it being available for many decades. Children died as a result.

veryblunt · 24/05/2024 19:53

Ive never had a jab in my life.

Kitkat1523 · 24/05/2024 16:21

VerlynWebbe · 24/05/2024 12:36

I'm just looking up how to get vaccinated (I'm not a pregnant woman) - I had the usual jabs as a kid but I'm in my early 50s now - and there seems to be no way to get it?

How can we get ourselves vaccinated if it's not on offer, even privately?

Ask through work? I’m nhs…we all got offered a vaccine back in February?

Busyhedgehog · 24/05/2024 16:13

EnglishBluebell · 24/05/2024 16:09

They should not have given it to you if you're not pregnant! It's useless in adults

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I don't live in the UK anymore. My vaccinations were brought up to date after we moved because I work with small children.
It's very much recommended here to update every 10 years. Since I am currently pregnant, the recommendation to get a booster is also being extended to my husband and the baby's grandparents and siblings and anyone, who might be in close contact with her once she's born.

EnglishBluebell · 24/05/2024 16:09

Busyhedgehog · 24/05/2024 15:58

I've just had mine (dtp) because I'm pregnant. Had it previously during pregnancy but when we moved countries (from the UK to EU), this wasn't recorded in my vaccination record. I had another in between at my GP. I think he just looked through my vaccination record and figured that I needed a tetanus booster. I think I paid about 20€ for it.
I wasn't allowed to have the whooping cough vaccination as a baby and my mum was horrified when I told her that I'd had it during my previous pregnancy. Apparently, I wasn't ever meant to have the vaccination. Not had any side effects with any of them, though.

They should not have given it to you if you're not pregnant! It's useless in adults

TallulahBetty · 24/05/2024 16:00

I have broken ribs, twice, from coughing. If there was a way to get vaccinated, I would. But there isn't unless pregnant or under 5, and I'm unlikely to be either of those anytime soon

Busyhedgehog · 24/05/2024 15:58

I've just had mine (dtp) because I'm pregnant. Had it previously during pregnancy but when we moved countries (from the UK to EU), this wasn't recorded in my vaccination record. I had another in between at my GP. I think he just looked through my vaccination record and figured that I needed a tetanus booster. I think I paid about 20€ for it.
I wasn't allowed to have the whooping cough vaccination as a baby and my mum was horrified when I told her that I'd had it during my previous pregnancy. Apparently, I wasn't ever meant to have the vaccination. Not had any side effects with any of them, though.

Willow12345 · 24/05/2024 15:47

I had my whooping cough vaccine (dtp - diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) recently at Kamsons pharmacies. I had to pay £70. I was concerned about getting it from my child and passing on to elderly parents.

Allywill · 24/05/2024 14:50

You can get it via Travel clinics if you will be travelling to the US or Oz and will be in contact with a newborn whilst there. Costs about £70.

Curtainpoles · 24/05/2024 14:47

I am a midwife and got the booster recently through work. I am not sure if it's just because I work with very young babies, or if all NHS staff can get it.

Simone86 · 24/05/2024 14:47

Everyone is saying to get vaccinated but the NHS will only offer it to pregnant women and babies!!

Allywill · 24/05/2024 14:42

kitteninabasket · 24/05/2024 14:00

I had a tetanus vaccine about 8 years ago after cutting myself on an old piece of metal in the soil, so hopefully I’m still covered.

If you mean covered for whooping cough - not if you had the REVAXIS vaccine as that only has polio diphtheria and tetanus. This is the one that would be given if you just needed a tetanus booster but you would of course be covered for tetanus.

Munne257 · 24/05/2024 14:40

Spitalfieldrose · 24/05/2024 14:34

I had it as a kid, now in my 50s does that give you any protection? If not I’ll be hassling my GP, I never, ever want it again.

No. I had the vaccine as a child, caught it as an adult and had the vaccine again some years later in pregnancy.

iamabbyleemiller · 24/05/2024 14:37

So are children protected up until about age 10 or is it included in the vaccines they get at 3/5? Sorry I can’t even remember when they last had some!

Jaxhog · 24/05/2024 14:37

Munne257 · 24/05/2024 13:42

It was sitting on the toilet (because my pelvic floor gave up) choking on the thick mucus that was the low point for me. Cough, choke, gag for minutes at a time. At one point I was genuinely terrified I'd pass out because I couldn't get any air in other than the panicked gasps every so often. It's a combination of the worst cold of your life, drowning and vomiting, it's really really hard to explain it.

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I agree. I had it just before Covid and was ill for over 3 months. It's bad enough for adults, but potentially fatal for infants. Either way it is truly horrible.

PS. It can leave your lungs damaged, which made Covid even more fun.

Spitalfieldrose · 24/05/2024 14:34

I had it as a kid, now in my 50s does that give you any protection? If not I’ll be hassling my GP, I never, ever want it again.

Outumbered83 · 24/05/2024 14:09

I live in London and it’s rife here. I had the vaccine during pregnancy and my 9 week old baby had the jab last week.
I have had anxiety about him catching it for weeks. It’s such an awful bloody illness.