Sure enough, in the news right now is a story about an epidemic of whooping cough in Washington state, with additional cases in Oregon and (oddly) Vermont. So it was doubly important for us to get vaccinated. Martin got his a few days before the birth, when our time was less constrained. I couldn't get it while pregnant but was advised to get it as soon as possible after the birth. I finally managed to get it done today - it's hard to know when I can leave the house for a little while without Eddie, when I am still his only food source.
It was surprisingly easy to get the jab - Walgreen's has a walk in clinic, and I bet other pharmacies like CVS and Rite Aid have something similar. The vaccination was fully covered by our insurance, but uninsured it would have cost $64 per person - not out of the realm of financial possibility when you're talking about a potentially fatal infant disease! Eddie won't get his own vaccination until he is two months old, but I've read up on the symptoms ("Whooping cough often starts with cold or flulike symptoms – sneezing, runny nose, and a mild cough, which may last up to two weeks before the more severe coughing spells begin. Your child may also have a fever.") and fingers crossed he won't encounter it. I think he may get some measure of protection through breast milk as well, but I'm not 100% sure on that one.
If you want to hear what whooping cough sounds like, check out the sound clips on this page - but if you have a child in the house, warn your partner before playing the clips or he/she might think someone is ill!
To end on a brighter note, here's a picture of Eddie at 15 days old in his newest onesie:
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