Hypothetical Questions about Pertussis?

If you were a parent, would you choose to give the pertussis vaccine for your children or not?

If you were a pediatrician, would you administer the vaccine to your patients?

Should the government require vaccination against pertussis for admission to school?

If you were the CEO of a major pharmaceutical firm, would you direct your company's efforts to the distribution and manufacture of a new pertussis vaccine?

Answer and add details as to why you would say that.

Since the pertussis vaccine is the least effective of the vaccinations, and the most reactive as well, I am very comfortable with my decision to not have my child get the pertussis vaccine. An infant is out of the danger zone before even completing the DTaP series and a healthy, breastfed baby who is not in daycare is not a risk factor.

I would not administer vaccinations if I was a Pediatrician(if I was, I would most likely be a holistic pediatrician). I would not feel comfortable injecting children with things that I choose not to inject into my own children.

I do not believe the government should require any vaccinations for school, but since the exemptions are in place, it really is of no matter. Children can still go to public school without getting vaccines in most all states because of exemptions. My children will be going to public school thanks to the philosophical exemption in California.

Well, if I was the CEO of a pharma firm, I most likely would be greedy and care more about my bank account than the welfare of other children. But then again, I would never be the CEO of a pharma firm.....

I would absolutely give this vaccine to my child. Although I am not a parent yet, I suffered from pertussis/whooping cough. I honestly thought I was dieing when I had the illness for what seemed like a never-ending three months. Anything you can do to prevent yourself from contracting this horrible illness...do it!
Good luck!

we have decided to skip the vaccine until our son is 2 yrs old......what are the chances of him getting pertussis? chances are it can be taken care of and caught early in development of the disease anyway.....

if your child has a unfavorable reaction to the vaccine, forget it....... big problems

the gov't shouldnt make you do anything.... they could be giving you garbage that causes autism *cough* or really just about anything they wanted to

As a parent, I not only would have my child vaccinated, but have. Whooping cough is nothing to mess around with - it's terrible. I'm not sure where you live, but here in Texas, a DTP (diptheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccination is required for school, and I believe this is the case for most states. As for the CEO question, I believe the current vaccine is adequate.

I'm assuming your referring to the whole cell vaccine. There is a much safer acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccines available now.

I could see how the vaccine is dangerous because there have been cases of fever and "excessive somnolence", convulsions and prolonged high-pitched crying, and even permanent brain damage or death. I think the question is really would the benefits of the vaccine outweight the risks and are the risks of pertussis more dangerous than the risks of the vaccine itself?