TDaP vaccine

mum2lanabelliz · February 2015

Just got back from my 28 week appt. pretty sure I failed my 1 hour. Anyway my OB mentioned the TDaP vaccine and encouraged us, our 2 oldest and any adults over 18 get it before letting them come in contact with our LO. There was an outbreak of whooping cough here in our town last spring. In and out of the schools. Makes me nervous. I just know DH's fam will balk if we ask them.

What are your thoughts on this? Are you getting it or not and why? If so will you ask family and friends to get it before they come in contact with your LO?

Sharon&Paul · February 2015

I am getting it because the immunity from my vaccine will actually go to the baby. I asked my husband to get it too. Our kids are young and up to date on vaccines. I am not going to ask friends and family to get vaccinated.

NeonNoon · February 2015

I chose to skip it.

I think vaccines are very useful but they are by no means a one-size-fits-all. They are never 100% effective nor 100% risk free (there's tons of research that shows that for each vaccine and I have relatives who have suffered a lot as a result).

In our case, we decided that while the diseases covered by the vaccine are quite serious & contagious, the risk of infection is quite small since we will be vaccinating LO with DTaP at 2 months of age. The TDaP vaccine is in theory used to bridge that 2 month gap, and doesn't guarantee immunity for that period. We don't intend to use daycare, thus minimizing the risk of exposure. Also, there are autoimmune diseases on both DH's and my side of the family. I figured if there is a reaction, it's a lot easier to deal with outside the womb. Finally, I'm not convinced the neurotoxic ingredients (aluminum, formaldehyde) used in the vaccine don't make it across the placenta, though I have not come across evidence either way. At least LO's elimination organs will be working better at 2 months than in the womb. So, in our case, it seemed better to wait.

Incidentally, the last outbreak of pertussis in California happened in spite of good rates of vaccination. The vaccine has been weakened from it's original form as a result of major side effects. "Of this year's pediatric cases that had information on the child's vaccination history, only 10 percent of those infected in 2014 had not been vaccinated against pertussis." From: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/12/california-whooping-cough_n_6315408.html

Tetanus is everywhere (soil), and healthy people can carry and transmit diphtheria. You can't nerf the world, IMHO.

Good luck with your decision. It all comes down what risks you're willing to take.

cneiding · February 2015

I got one after giving birth a couple or few kids ago when whopping cough was just making a "come back" around. THey will do it for you while you are in the hospital after delivery if you wish. My OB actually had whopping cough some months ago and is really encouraging all her patients to get a vaccine after birth if they need it
"

mum2lanabelliz · February 2015

I'm undecided and will be doing research before I make a decision. I t was never brought up in any of previous pgs. I had whopping cough last spring. My cough lasted for nearly 5 month. Was pretty awful. Thanks for your input ladies.

Sharon&Paul · February 2015

The recommendation is relatively new. They just started recommending vaccinating during pregnancy in October 2012. I know with my last child the recommendation was after delivery. Here is some good information on the current recommendations and why they are making the recommendation.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pertussis/tdap-pregnancy-hcp.htm

marijaa333 · February 2015

Nothing is risk free, but the potential benefit of vaccines in general far, far outweighs the risks. Having said that, some vaccines may not be suitable for absolutely everyone, but this should be discussed with your doctor and decided for your particular case. Finally, most vaccines exist in preservative-free versions and in my experience cost about $10 more than the long-shelf ones. That seems worth it.

I think that everyone should be as informed as possible and make their own decisions. Just make sure that the information you are using is solid and evidence-based (i.e. look for scientific studies with large sample sizes and solid methodologies, and don't rely solely on anecdotes, however touching they are or however much you love or respect the person relaying it).

I found this to be a well-expressed summary:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/community/inside-the-globe/public-editor-stories-on-vaccination-arent-propaganda/article23049650/

topaz7777 · February 2015

I got my TDaP and DH got his with our last baby which was about 3 years ago. My sister and her husband have theirs because they had a baby recently. I only recommended it to my parents who would be around baby a lot and they got it with our first baby also. I don't usually mention it to any extended friends or family who won't be spending a whole ton of time with baby.

When I got my TDaP this year I had a reaction to it with a large area of red swelling and had to take benadryl so I likely won't take another one.

mattandlora · February 2015

I have to get a Tdap every 10 years for work. (Note: The vaccine they're referring to is Tdap, not TDap. It does not contain diptheria vaccination). It is a good idea to get your tetanus every 10 years anyway. Now the pertussis component is included in the adult tetanus shot. As for pertussis, we've seen several outbreaks here and it can be deadly in newborns. When DS was born, there was an outbreak at a kid's summer camp. You can't shield them from everything, but you can make sure the people with the closest contact are protected. The vaccine is safe to give during pregnancy. The chemicals / preservatives in it (formaldehyde, etc) are less than what you find in your average produce section at the grocery store. We are making sure household contacts are vaccinated and non-household contacts can't visit when they're sick.

mattandlora · February 2015

Sharon&Paul said:

The recommendation is relatively new. They just started recommending vaccinating during pregnancy in October 2012. I know with my last child the recommendation was after delivery. Here is some good information on the current recommendations and why they are making the recommendation.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pertussis/tdap-pregnancy-hcp.htm

Grrr - Meant to include this in my last post. Sorry about the frequent posting. They actually started offering vaccination to pregnant women in 2005 when we started seeing outbreaks in newborn units at NICUs at the hospital. It wasn't universally recommended, offered to everyone, covered by insurance, etc, until October 2012.

Bostonchelle · February 2015

Whooping cough is potentially fatal to infants which is why it is recommended in the 3rd tri so as to pass immunities on to baby.

In regards to grandparents etc.- anyone having contact with my baby- grandparents, aunts and uncles, nanny and babysitters have all been asked to be vaccinated. It's ultimately their choice whether to be vaccinated however if they are not they are not having contact with the baby- that part is my choice. This is a risk that I can minimize for baby and will be doing just that.

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