There’s a huge whooping cough outbreak at a local daycare here. The child who brought it to school was un-vaccinated, and several very little babies now have it, including a 2 month old. Over 120 children were exposed to the cough, as well as all of the adult care providers. Those adults then went home and potentially exposed their families. Several of them are sick.
Including Liam’s nanny, whose daughter works at the daycare.
I called the pediatrician. I was mildly frantic, if those two words can be meaningfully combined into one descriptor. I’m aware that both my kids are fully up to date on their vaccinations, and a couple of google searches showed me that whooping cough is one of the first shots given to babies (because it is so contagious, and so dangerous for infants.) Liam has had cold symptoms for a couple of days, which is how whooping cough presents at first (culminating in an absolutely horrifying cough that usually hospitalizes babies Liam’s age and younger – see this link for a tale of a four week old who died from it).
The pediatrician said to me – the least likely people in the world to catch this disease are your two sons, because they just had boosters. Your baby just has a cold, and he should be fine.
So, hooray for vaccinations, hooray that I don’t happen to have a brand new baby at home, hooray that I don’t happen to have a brand new baby at a daycare center that permits un-vaccinated children to attend. Cross your fingers that this does not lead to any deaths for those unlucky parents who did . . . and vaccinate your kids!
That is terrifying.
I think people who don’t vaccinate their kids should be brought up on charges. Every time. No excuses.
It scares the bejeezus out of me that there are kids out there that aren’t vaccinated. People try to rely on heard immunity, but that doesn’t really work if that kid is the one that gets it. We were sure to get Z all of her shots (on time), plus some because we usually live in a developing country. My daughters daycare requires vaccines, no “personal belief” exemptions allowed.
I continue to be frustrated that the main research paper that started the vaccine scare has been completely disproven. Turns out Jenny McCarthy is more popular than, say, the entire scientific community. I am ALL for educated choices and participatory health care…but don’t put my kids at risk without doing the research first. I’m with ya, Honey, and so sorry you had to go through that scare.
The thought that there are parents out there that don’t vaccinate their kids, and I don’t care what their wacky logic is, absolutely makes my blood boil. If the choice to be totally irresponsible only impacted them, then fine, do whatever you want. But putting other kids at risk? You’ve gotta be kidding me.
Ugh, a kid at my son’s school has whooping cough. The parents claim the kid was vaccinated…which I guess is possible, but it sounds questionable to me. I guess the chances of running into un-vaccinated kids are just as high out in public as at daycare and it’s just that you get notice at the latter, but it really pisses me off. I hope everyone is ok!