Eh... YDI for no vaccination and poor choice of metaphor.

Wow. Or you could grow up. It's just a really bad cold and you can treat the symptoms.

Hmm, "English" peasant? Because in 19th century America there were no peasants and everyone had perfect health didn't they...

Congrats! You get to be part of the 20% of the population that the vaccine doesn't work for. (My sister and I are in the ranks ourselves) You have so much to look forward to: a 5 day quarantine, a month or two of coughing until you throw up or pass out, pulling muscles between your ribs or cracking your ribs from coughing so hard, six months of chronic upper respitory infections, and a dry barking cough that will last anywhere from 6 weeks to forever.... But never fear, any heavy duty antibiotic will take care of it. Take some eurithromicin and get an inhaler if it's severe enough. And most of all, remember to have fun...

I currently have pertussis, as well. Seems there is an outbreak of it in San Diego, and it also seems that the vaccine wears off over time. So, those of you in your late 20s/early 30s...go get pricked again. No one wants this. It isn't life threatening unless you're immunocompromised, very elderly, or very, very young, or so I've been told by a few doctors. The bacteria that causes the infection can be destroyed with antibiotics (thus rendering you non infectious within 48-72 hours of starting the ABs), but if you don't get to it in the first week, that cough can plague you for 6-8 weeks. Violent, paroxysmal coughing fits that leave your ribs sore, your back sore, your throat raw, and your stomach empty (at times) due to the violence of the fits ending in a rousing bout of vomiting. Don't think OP meant to be offcolor or offputting, just think they are perhaps uneducated about diseases in general. A friend of mine asked me if I had been "accepting blankets from the white man" when he found out I had whooping cough...made me snicker. Also, to those that recommend cough medications for this...HA! I was taking a very expensive, strong prescription blend of codeine cough syrup with a lidocaine pre gargle...and it did nothing to stop this cough.

people get whooping cough a lot. who moderated this??

Yeah...it can be treated dumbass

There is a point to be made that the vaccine is not 100% effective. Of course, this is not a sign that you should not get vaccinated, but that everyone should get vaccinated. The vaccine is still largely effective, and if this person was vaccinated, he may very well have gotten it from someone who wasn't. Herd immunity is incredibly important. This is what makes me sick about people that choose not to get vaccinated for religious reasons or fear of being "unsafe." They're basically freeloading off the herd immunity of everyone that gets the vaccine without having to actually get it and without contributing to the herd immunity. Also, as a side note, the fact that people were getting this as adults is part of the reason it's required whenever you get your tetanus shot now.

Not an FML, but i had whooping cough so i know how it feels...especially considering i would choke on the mucus coming up my throat every morning, which lead to me not being able to breathe and nearly passing out..several times...pretty scary experience Look forward to 6 months of no sports

gawd that sounds really stupid you know. calm down it'll go away