To let you know there is a serious whooping cough outbreak in the UK?

I had it about 10 years ago and wouldn’t wish it on anyone! It was awful and they said it was milder because I had been vaccinated

The guidance for no longer being an infection risk, is actually 48hrs after starting antibiotics ……or 3 weeks with no AB …..but taking AB makes little difference to symptoms and doesn’t mean you recover any quicker….as you will know with your DS

My son had it at the end of last year and the cough wasn't too frequent, but coughing fits were so violent he would end up throwing up.
Official Dept of Health guidelines (sent by his SN school as it is so contagious) was that after 3 days' worth of ABs patients aren't contagious anymore.
He had a bad fever with it so we kept him home for much longer.

My dd20 finished her antibiotics yesterday. She’s not feeling so poorly now, but she’s completely exhausted because the cough is keeping her awake all night. She already had long Covid too, and she’s back in work today. I hope your son is soon on the mend.

But the measles vaccine is far longer lasting ….often lasts a lifetime….so if vaccinated you likely going to be fine and not succumb….WC vaccine nowhere near as effective …..often only lasts a few years

Measles is back too. A friend's baby is poorly with it atm. Too young to have had the vaccination.

Sorry to hear that - I wasn't trying to pass on incorrect info, this website seems to be well evidence based but of course there are always exceptions. I had it in the 80s as a baby too, but no lasting lung damage, hopefully I will be as lucky at 44!

Apparently natural immunity from whooping cough can last 30-70 years so if it's rattling through the population this year we should see much lower levels of infection in the future again.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211528.htm#:~:text=The%20analysis%20revealed%20that%2C%20on,20%20years%2C%22%20said%20Rohani.

i nearly died of WC when i was 3 months old - contracted just before my vaccine. i was in NICU for a while and it was touch and go.

I got asked if i wanted a booster not too long ago, i've never had a WC vaccine ever but may go for this one!

My eldest contracted whooping cough at 4 months old, I’ll never forget that cough. He had it for 10wks and he was admitted to hospital for 5 nights as he also had bronchiolitis. The coughing was so bad sometimes he started burning blue and I was a very young mother who the doctors decided to ignore for 3 visits to the GP and 1 A&E when I was sent home, only for the A&E Doc to phone me the next morning to say they’d slept on it and wanted me to bring him back in!

Definitely much more dangerous for small children. I’ve passed out and vomited a fair few times over the last few months due to coughing and every time I think how incredibly frightening it would be to nurse an infant through this 😢

Well, that’s incorrect - I had whooping cough as an infant in the 80s and it gave me permanent lung damage! Ever since, every single cold I get becomes a cough and a long lasting chest infection, I have poor lung capacity despite doing cardio training. I have been tested and I don’t have asthma - I have reduced lung capacity from whooping cough! Be warned.

That’s reassuring, thank you 😊. I’ll have to be more patient!

It does wear off around 10 years of age on average. I am qualified in immunisations and we learned this is training.

It's awful for any age, but particularly dangerous for children/infants because of their narrower airways. I had it as an adult while traveling overseas. Thought I had bronchitis, but the cough was so severe I was practically gasping for air at night in particular. I got scared, so found a doctor and was prescribed antibiotics. I've maintained updated vaccinations since.

Everyone is offered it now….don’t know anyone who has declined it….been routine since 2012? I think ….offered in 2nd trimester I think?

Where I live I've met adults with it. My sister had it too last month.

Public Health person told me on phone that vaccine wears off. Three doctors misdiagnosed my 9year old until one went like this…’I mean, it could be whooping cough….? But if it was that he’d have bloodshot eyes from coughing and things…’ and I was able to point out my sons bloodshot eyes. Been going nearly 3 months now. Horrible

I remember having it when I was 5, I still remember the exhaustion from the whooping.

https://whoopingcough.net/

Has a lot of information (I got this from a previous MN thread when searching for info yesterday) it says whooping cough doesn't cause permanent lung damage.

This is a really good idea - I’d definitely have taken the vaccine if I’d known. It has been a horrendous recovery - and I’m not sure I haven’t done permanent damage to my lungs 😢

The outbreak started before Christmas and is sweeping through older people too. My gp gave me a booster shot of the combination vaccine (was there for travel vaccs but she was vaccinating every adult over 40 who came in unless they had had a booster within 10 years)

My BIL and niece have had it. BIL is asthmatic and has been really ill with it, had to go to A&E twice. The waiting room was absolutely full of people coughing, apparently, and the staff were run ragged.

The doctor who treated him said he's never known anything like it.

I didn't know that the vaccine only lasts 10 years. Mind you, I don't think there was a vaccine for it at all when I was a kid (I'm 68), so I doubt if I've ever had one, never mind a booster.

i work on a paeds ward ( non medical) and while whooping cough is around we are still seeing many other viral illnesses atm that cause coughs. We are still very busy. Covid is on the rise even in kids and we’ve also , even had flu amongst others. ( positive tests)

Please look at the sign and symptoms of whooping cough and if any concerns see a medical professional/111 asap.

Does anyone remember being vaccinated during pregnancy? I had my kids 5+ years ago and I honestly don't remember being offered it.

Knowing how important it is for the new baby in the early days of life, I'm interested if anyone who recently had a baby was offered it? I'd definitely have taken it up so wondering if there is a gap?