On 10/29/14, 6:24 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>
> The vaccine isn't very effective. Angela had it but was still sick for
> about 2 months with the whooping cough. So was my mom.

The current pertussis vaccine, while relatively new, is quite effective
-- 70 to 90%. But you have to keep it current.

Note from the final paragraph: "If you get the vaccine and still get
whooping cough, you will have fewer coughing fits, shorter illness, and
be less likely to suffer from disease complications."

"CDC is studying the long-term effectiveness of adolescent and adult
whooping cough vaccines

In general, Tdap vaccination protects 7 out of 10 people who receive it,
but protection fades over time....

CDC's current estimate is that Tdap vaccination protects against
whooping cough in about 7 out of 10 people who receive it. We are still
working to understand how that protection decreases over time as
antibody levels drop....

In general, DTaP vaccination is effective for up to 8 or 9 out of 10
children who receive it, but protection fades over time.
Since the childhood whooping cough vaccine (called DTaP) has been used
since the 1990s and almost every child gets it, we have study results on
long-term protection. In general, DTaP vaccines are effective for 8 or 9
out of 10 children who receive them. Among children who get all 5 doses
of DTaP vaccine on schedule, effectiveness is very high within the year
following the 5th dose — nearly all children (98 out of 100) are fully
protected. There is a modest decrease in effectiveness in each following
year. About 7 out of 10 of children are fully protected 5 years after
getting their last dose of DTaP vaccine and the other 3 are protected
against serious disease....

If you get the vaccine and still get whooping cough, you will have fewer
coughing fits, shorter illness, and be less likely to suffer from
disease complications. By getting the vaccine, you will also transfer
antibodies (proteins produced by the body to fight off diseases) to your
baby. Even if your baby gets whooping cough, these antibodies can
protect her against the severe outcomes that come along with the
disease. However, for women vaccinated during pregnancy, CDC does not
yet have an exact estimate as to how long that short-term protection
lasts in babies. Studies have shown that the antibodies will last until
your baby can start getting her own vaccines. That is why it is critical
that your baby starts getting the whooping cough vaccine for children on
time at 2 months of age."

-- Larry