pertussis

We're leaving tomorrow morning for a few days away. We're going to a
town where we have friends and were planning to get together with them
so the kids could play, until the mom said today that their daughter
(only child, same age 4 as my older son)has had pertussis, onset 5 weeks
ago. My ds1 has had 4 of the recommended 5 DTaP vaccinations, my ds2, 6
months old, had his first DTaP about 6 weeks ago (we do
selective/delayed vax).

They live in a very alternative/hippie area, and many of the kids they
know are not vaxed at all, including this girl, and pertussis is "going
around" there right now. The daughter has received homeopathic treatment
by an osteopath, but no conventional treatment/antibiotics. We will be
staying in a hotel, not with them, and had planned to meet them at the
local farmer's market the first day, then go to the beach together the
next day.

Our pediatrician's office recommends no contact with them, that the risk
is too high, especially for the baby (who is also already fighting off
some sort of cough ds1 brought home from preschool).

Would you feel comfortable meeting these friends at the farmer's market,
if there were no kissing and hugging? Chances are that any number of
other unvaxed/potentially sick kids from the same community group could
be there anyway. I could carry the baby in a sling where he'd be up from
other kids running around, or even in a stroller with a vinyl rain cover
over him.

What about just dh and ds1 going to the beach with these friends, mom
and baby doing something else?

Or would you just skip meeting with these friends all together and hope
to get together with them after the daughter has been completely well
for at least a few weeks. My understanding is that she is still coughing
occassionally.

I think I've answered my own questions, just wondering what others might
do in this situation. We've so been looking forward to getting together,
and the kids will be heartbroken.

-Karen, mom to Henry 4 and William 6 months-

In article .net, Karen
says...

We're leaving tomorrow morning for a few days away. We're going to a
town where we have friends and were planning to get together with them
so the kids could play, until the mom said today that their daughter
(only child, same age 4 as my older son)has had pertussis, onset 5 weeks
ago. My ds1 has had 4 of the recommended 5 DTaP vaccinations, my ds2, 6
months old, had his first DTaP about 6 weeks ago (we do
selective/delayed vax).

They live in a very alternative/hippie area, and many of the kids they
know are not vaxed at all, including this girl, and pertussis is "going
around" there right now. The daughter has received homeopathic treatment
by an osteopath, but no conventional treatment/antibiotics. We will be
staying in a hotel, not with them, and had planned to meet them at the
local farmer's market the first day, then go to the beach together the
next day.

Our pediatrician's office recommends no contact with them, that the risk
is too high, especially for the baby (who is also already fighting off
some sort of cough ds1 brought home from preschool).

Would you feel comfortable meeting these friends at the farmer's market,
if there were no kissing and hugging? Chances are that any number of
other unvaxed/potentially sick kids from the same community group could
be there anyway. I could carry the baby in a sling where he'd be up from
other kids running around, or even in a stroller with a vinyl rain cover
over him.

What about just dh and ds1 going to the beach with these friends, mom
and baby doing something else?

Or would you just skip meeting with these friends all together and hope
to get together with them after the daughter has been completely well
for at least a few weeks. My understanding is that she is still coughing
occassionally.

I think I've answered my own questions, just wondering what others might
do in this situation. We've so been looking forward to getting together,
and the kids will be heartbroken.

-Karen, mom to Henry 4 and William 6 months-


I think it's a good time to suddenly have some pressing issue that would keep
you at home, or make you have to change plans.

Really - why risk it?

Banty

Karen wrote:

We're leaving tomorrow morning for a few days away. We're going to a
town where we have friends and were planning to get together with them
so the kids could play, until the mom said today that their daughter
(only child, same age 4 as my older son)has had pertussis, onset 5 weeks
ago. My ds1 has had 4 of the recommended 5 DTaP vaccinations, my ds2, 6
months old, had his first DTaP about 6 weeks ago (we do
selective/delayed vax).

They live in a very alternative/hippie area, and many of the kids they
know are not vaxed at all, including this girl, and pertussis is "going
around" there right now. The daughter has received homeopathic treatment
by an osteopath, but no conventional treatment/antibiotics. We will be
staying in a hotel, not with them, and had planned to meet them at the
local farmer's market the first day, then go to the beach together the
next day.

Our pediatrician's office recommends no contact with them, that the risk
is too high, especially for the baby (who is also already fighting off
some sort of cough ds1 brought home from preschool).

I think it is too bad that your friends are willing to expose your
children to pertussis, and I think you should follow your ped's
recommendations. You would be SO angry/sad/depressed if your children
got this especially the baby, and you would have no one to blame but
yourself (which would make it much worse). Is there no chance that
you could postpone this trip?

Would you feel comfortable meeting these friends at the farmer's market,
if there were no kissing and hugging? Chances are that any number of
other unvaxed/potentially sick kids from the same community group could
be there anyway. I could carry the baby in a sling where he'd be up from
other kids running around, or even in a stroller with a vinyl rain cover
over him.

What about just dh and ds1 going to the beach with these friends, mom
and baby doing something else?

Or would you just skip meeting with these friends all together and hope
to get together with them after the daughter has been completely well
for at least a few weeks. My understanding is that she is still coughing
occassionally.

I think I've answered my own questions, just wondering what others might
do in this situation. We've so been looking forward to getting together,
and the kids will be heartbroken.

-Karen, mom to Henry 4 and William 6 months-

I don't think the baby will care. And IMHO Henry may be unhappy about
it but I doubt he will remember 40 years from now. If you are going
on a trip anyway, I'd go somewhere else nice, and then visit your
friends later - maybe in the spring after the flu and all is over too.
grandma Rosalie

On Wed, 03 Nov 2004 00:45:07 GMT, Karen
scribbled:

We're leaving tomorrow morning for a few days away. We're going to a
town where we have friends and were planning to get together with them
so the kids could play, until the mom said today that their daughter
(only child, same age 4 as my older son)has had pertussis, onset 5 weeks
ago. My ds1 has had 4 of the recommended 5 DTaP vaccinations, my ds2, 6
months old, had his first DTaP about 6 weeks ago (we do
selective/delayed vax).

They live in a very alternative/hippie area, and many of the kids they
know are not vaxed at all, including this girl, and pertussis is "going
around" there right now. The daughter has received homeopathic treatment
by an osteopath, but no conventional treatment/antibiotics. We will be
staying in a hotel, not with them, and had planned to meet them at the
local farmer's market the first day, then go to the beach together the
next day.

Our pediatrician's office recommends no contact with them, that the risk
is too high, especially for the baby (who is also already fighting off
some sort of cough ds1 brought home from preschool).

Would you feel comfortable meeting these friends at the farmer's market,
if there were no kissing and hugging? Chances are that any number of
other unvaxed/potentially sick kids from the same community group could
be there anyway. I could carry the baby in a sling where he'd be up from
other kids running around, or even in a stroller with a vinyl rain cover
over him.

What about just dh and ds1 going to the beach with these friends, mom
and baby doing something else?

Or would you just skip meeting with these friends all together and hope
to get together with them after the daughter has been completely well
for at least a few weeks. My understanding is that she is still coughing
occassionally.

I think I've answered my own questions, just wondering what others might
do in this situation. We've so been looking forward to getting together,
and the kids will be heartbroken.

Well, at least she informed you ahead of time, but my response would
be to wait.
It's not worth the risk, imo.

Nan

I think it is too bad that your friends are willing to expose your
children to pertussis,

The info was given in the spirit of full disclosure, which has always
been our policy, so that the other family can weigh the risks and
decline the playdate with no hard feelings on either side if that seems
best. So it's perfectly fine to cancel the plans without it cancelling
our whole trip, as we weren't going specifically to see them. We usually
camp and this time are splurging on a hotel, and getting together with
them has become an added bonus to visiting a place we had gone to for
years before we were friends and we have plenty of other interests and
things to do in the area.

I was trying to weigh the idea of just dh and ds1 getting together with
the girl and mom at the beach, but the more I read, it seems likely that
they have not necessarily reached a point of non-contagiousness yet, and
even though ds 1 has had 4 DTaP vax, that apparently only makes him 80%
less likely to contract it. I understand that the risk to the baby is
especially high. When I wrote the original message, I had not yet read
much of the material available online, so thought it would be helpful to
sound out some other moms until dh got home and we could discuss it
thoroughly.

The farmer's market is a bit stickier though, as they go there regularly
every week, as do many other people they associate with. They were
advised to keep the daughter sequestered for 3-4 weeks, which they did,
but it seems most of the others with sick kids generally did not, which
is why it's going around. While eschewing vaccines and western medicine,
our friends are trying moreso than others they know to be consciencious
about the situation. The information she was given was that at this
point in time after the initial onset they should no longer be
contagious, which may or may not be true, but she discussed it with me
so that we could make an informed decision. Maybe dh and I need to
discuss skipping the farmers market, which is a shame, as that is one of
the things we have always done there when we are in town on the right
day. It's a real genuine slice of the community of this particular town,
but in this case maybe it puts my family at risk.

Anyway, thanks for opinions. I appreciate the sounding board.

-K-

"Karen" wrote in message
link.net...


I think I've answered my own questions, just wondering what others might
do in this situation. We've so been looking forward to getting together,
and the kids will be heartbroken.

-Karen, mom to Henry 4 and William 6 months-


I wouldn't expose a baby who'd had only the first of his scheduled pertussis
immunisation shots to an environment where there was a pertussis epidemic
let alone put him in contact with a child who was recovering from it and
still coughing.

Also, I wouldn't expose myself or my husband to the risk either, if our own
immunisations weren't up to date. It's not as life threatening for healthy
adults as it is for healthy infants but pertussis is a misery I wouldn't
wish on anyone.

So, reschedule when your bub is a bit older and more fully immunised?

Tai

On Wed, 03 Nov 2004 00:45:07 GMT, Karen wrote:

We're leaving tomorrow morning for a few days away. We're going to a
town where we have friends and were planning to get together with them
so the kids could play, until the mom said today that their daughter
(only child, same age 4 as my older son)has had pertussis, onset 5 weeks
ago. My ds1 has had 4 of the recommended 5 DTaP vaccinations, my ds2, 6
months old, had his first DTaP about 6 weeks ago (we do
selective/delayed vax).

They live in a very alternative/hippie area, and many of the kids they
know are not vaxed at all, including this girl, and pertussis is "going
around" there right now. The daughter has received homeopathic treatment
by an osteopath, but no conventional treatment/antibiotics. We will be
staying in a hotel, not with them, and had planned to meet them at the
local farmer's market the first day, then go to the beach together the
next day.

Our pediatrician's office recommends no contact with them, that the risk
is too high, especially for the baby (who is also already fighting off
some sort of cough ds1 brought home from preschool).

Would you feel comfortable meeting these friends at the farmer's market,
if there were no kissing and hugging? Chances are that any number of
other unvaxed/potentially sick kids from the same community group could
be there anyway. I could carry the baby in a sling where he'd be up from
other kids running around, or even in a stroller with a vinyl rain cover
over him.

What about just dh and ds1 going to the beach with these friends, mom
and baby doing something else?

Or would you just skip meeting with these friends all together and hope
to get together with them after the daughter has been completely well
for at least a few weeks. My understanding is that she is still coughing
occassionally.

I think I've answered my own questions, just wondering what others might
do in this situation. We've so been looking forward to getting together,
and the kids will be heartbroken.

-Karen, mom to Henry 4 and William 6 months-

Protect your children. Avoid the infected children completely. If your
children come down with it, you'll rue the day you exposed them. All
you need is for one of your children to develop complications from
exposure that causes a lifelong problem... Good luck.

Our pediatrician's office recommends no contact with them, that the risk
is too high, especially for the baby (who is also already fighting off
some sort of cough ds1 brought home from preschool).

If your Dr says don't go, I wouldn't.

--
Sophie
mom of 4

Karen wrote in message hlink.net...
We're leaving tomorrow morning for a few days away. We're going to a
town where we have friends and were planning to get together with them
so the kids could play, until the mom said today that their daughter
(only child, same age 4 as my older son)has had pertussis, onset 5 weeks
ago.


Would you feel comfortable meeting these friends at the farmer's market,
if there were no kissing and hugging? Chances are that any number of
other unvaxed/potentially sick kids from the same community group could
be there anyway. I could carry the baby in a sling where he'd be up from
other kids running around, or even in a stroller with a vinyl rain cover
over him.


Well, I'll take the contrary view here, compared to all the other
posters so far. I would be willing to meet the friends at the farmer's
market, keeping the baby away from the infected child, and probably
the parents as well. I would say that statistically the chances of
infection are very small, and no more than they would be if you went
to any public area where people congregate. I would probably nix the
beach trip. But I'm much more laid back about germs and disease than
many people.

Chris

"Karen" wrote in message
link.net...
Would you feel comfortable meeting these friends at the farmer's market,
if there were no kissing and hugging? Chances are that any number of other
unvaxed/potentially sick kids from the same community group could be there
anyway. I could carry the baby in a sling where he'd be up from other kids
running around, or even in a stroller with a vinyl rain cover over him.


-Karen, mom to Henry 4 and William 6 months-


I usually only lurk these days but this caught my eye. I had pertussis when
my son was 9 months old. I was very grateful he was vaccinated - he still
got it but only very mildly. I was sick for three months, slept in a chair,
and coughed so hard that I vomited every time. I would advise you to stay
away from anyone who has or has recently had this. It was horrible and my
pad told me it can be tragic in babies/young children. I have quite
honestly never been anywhere near that ill before - it was a little scary.
My two brothers and my mothers also got it although thankfully my husband
never did.

Gwen