Yes, I got a booster when I got married in 2006. We weren't sure if we were going to travel internationally for our honeymoon, so I wanted to be sure immunizations were up to date. In general, not a bad idea to check on these.

My arm was really sore from it, but that was about it.

yes, I got it a year and a half ago when my grandson was born, when his parents asked me to. I had it done at a minute clinic to avoid doctor's office hassle.

Yes, I've had it upon recommendation of my internist.

Yes I got one at my last physical...

Minute clinic is a great idea!

I received mine about 6 months ago.

Yes, I was born in '62 so my doctor recommended it. He also tested my measles immunity and it was gone despite having the vaccine and a booster, so had to get that one too before going to Turkey. Mumps and rubella immunity were still intact.

Both my husband and I were asked by grand children's pediatrician to get it. We did. My primary care gave me mine. My husband had to pick up RX at pharmacy and bring to his
Dr. for injection.

Yes, I did. I'm not sure anyone here remembers, but when my daughter was 5 months old, she got pertussis. We had delayed vaccinations because she was sick often, inc., with something that seemed to be seizures. All of my other children were up-to-date.

What is worrisome to me is that, in Australia, they no longer believe in "cocooning" Pertussis has been a major health problem there, so they would always advise family members to get vaccinated to protect children who were too young for the shots. They since concluded that there was no evidence it helped.

In our case, I think my oldest daughter brought it home from school, but it never affected her more than a little fever for a day or two. The doctor told me that she could definitely have passed it on, even being vaccinated. (And my doctor is pro-vax for sure.)

At the same time my daughter had it, my friend and her children got it (same school; was the very end of school so I don't know about anyone else). Her children were up-to-date with shots and not close to needing a booster. A scary reminder that a vax can help but isn't effective for everyone.

Here is a link that might be useful: Australia

DH and I got TDAP vaccines earlier this year before my new nephew was born, at the request of my brother and SIL. Unfortunately, said nephew was a week late in arriving and we missed him on our stopover as we moved west! So, I still haven't seen the nephew, but I'm safe from whooping cough.

Wasn't "allowed" to help with new grandson almost 2 yrs ago until I had this. I had it at Walgreens. Stayed at dds for several weeks. I didn't mind. She was just being cautious and smart.

Jakabedy - I didn't realize you'd moved!

Anele - I had forgotten all about your experience! Scary!!

I'm glad my internist is up-to-date on this. Sounds like many of your docs are too.

Anele--how frightening.

I had whooping cough about 16 months ago. I had a cough that came out of nowhere and 8 weeks later I still had it. Went to the doctors where I very obligingly had a coughing fit. He took one look at me (at least a listen) and filled out a prescription for antibiotics and 3 days later I felt sooooo much better. Wicked stuff

I had a tetnus booster earlier this year. I don't know if they generally give adults the combo (Tetnus-DiptheriA-Pertusis). Whooping Cough is generally dangerous to very young -- and I suspect the elderly and immuno compromised too. I was recently reading about several diseases that were nearly eliminated and are now coming back because folks won't get vaccinated. Are they now suggesting healthy adults get boosters for more than the tetnus?

Blfenton, if the abx helped, you probably did not have pertussis, unless you had a sample tested and it was proven. (Then you get a call from your health dept.!) Antibiotics only help (maybe) if caught very very early. Early on, the pertussis bacteria makes the cilia stop working . . .and the cilia is what clears the debris from the lungs (which is why the coughing is so horrible). It takes months for the cilia to regrow (hence the 100 day cough). Antibiotics wouldn't help, in that case, because it's not an infection. (Abx only help to stop the toxin from killing the cilia in the 1st place.)

Lascatx, pertussis is not life-threatening for older people (maybe the elderly) but it is really a horrible illness and it lasts for 3 months. Plus, even though it's not proven to help, necessarily, you are maybe helping protect infants. They get it from adults, usually. Most adults I know have gotten the TDaP, not just Tetanus.

We had a whooping cough outbreak here a couple of years ago. Since we are in contact with babies and small children from time to time I checked on our vaccines and was told the tetanus booster we both rec'd in 2007 was good, included the pertussis. We'd have had the shot if it had lapsed, just the responsible thing to do whether we may have become ill or not - who would risk making a baby ill?