Dear Alan,

I don’t want you to “believe” in this website or do what I do with my children because it may not be what’s best for you and your friend’s children. I lived in Denmark for 12 years minimum rate of tax was 52%, I want to improve society and  for the “kids of the future to have help and healthy lives” particularly in the inner city, I believe we have to pay more tax. The general public don’t want to pay more tax, but they want me to vaccinate my children when there is not a shred of evidence to say they will have “healthy lives” as a result. On the contrary the evidence suggests they will be more likely to develop asthma and other autoimmune disorders.

A persistent cough for two months is probably whooping cough and if the child has had it it for two months it is over now, a residual cough may persist for a while. Parents of young children who came into contact with this child may wish their children to have a seven day course of Erythromycin as a prophylactic. If you are a parent to be you have nothing to worry about now, but should be aware Whooping Cough is more common than you think.

 A study in the British Medical Journal in 2006 stated whooping cough was common and often misdiagnosed. Our two week old infant got it and if I had not known it was whooping cough I would have thought it was a mild cough. Eloise had no medical treatment for it but is exclusively breast fed so she would have got anti bodies in her mothers milk which helped reduce the severity of the symptoms. She also had the Erythromycin as a prophylactic which may have helped. 

Either your friend did not vaccinate his child in which case he made the decision in the knowledge they were likely to get infectious diseases at some point and accepts this as part of children’s  normal development.

On the other hand if he vaccinated the child he should be asking why is it not as effective as claimed by the health authorities and how come so many vaccinated children are now getting whooping cough. Yes my three children had whooping cough and the reason your friend knows it, is because I took the children out of nursery as soon as I suspected anything and had the diagnosis confirmed. I sought advice from The Health Protection Agency and discussed it with the nursery as to when my children should come in contact with other children again. That is why parents were aware my children had whooping cough, while they would not necessarily be aware if other children had it. In addition I have contacted the nursery and no cases of whooping cough have been reported to them. 

I am documenting our experience in Molly and Isabelle’s journal, because if we knew then what we knew now it would have been a much easier experience. Despite the sleepless nights and the fear of the “dreaded whooping cough” the reported dread never materialized. Looking back, I have no doubt we made the right decision. Our children have had it, their immune systems are stronger and they will not get whooping cough again and they have avoided the vaccine with the risks involved.

My qualifications regarding this are, like you, I love my kids very much and, like you, want to do what’s best for them so I have read much on the subject. Further, I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Chiropractic and a Masters in Health Promotion and Public Health for which I submitted a dissertation on informed consent and the DTP vaccine