I had whooping cough as a child--everyone in my family did. We lived in a rural area and didn't have easy access to medical care. I thought that having the infection conferred lifetime immunity. I'm sure a lot of people of my generation believe the same. We really do have to get the word out that this is not so. Thanks.
By the way, when we moved to NYC and registered in school, first thing the nurse did was make sure we were caught up on all our vaccinations. That was not a fun day:)
Yes, it becomes less of a health issue once an infant grows up but it’s a good idea to top up immunity if you’re likely to be around infants and whooping cough is currently circulating in your community (i.e. community). Also some people assume immunity is passed on as long as they continue breastfeeding, while this is partly true this is not ideal, far better protection is gained by vaccination during pregnancy.
Ha, yeah I can imagine that’s a lot of jabbing!