Need most current info on pertussis vaccine, please!

[OHmidwife]

Is it available without the D and the T anywhere? Any made without aluminum or mercury? If not, what is the lowest aluminum and/or mercury brand available?

There have been a small, but consitant number of whooping cough cases showing up in Ohio, both adults and children. I'm very seriously considering getting this vax soon for my 4 year old, who is otherwise unvaxed.

Thanks!

[just_lily]

You can't get just pertussis vax. The toxoid needs to bind to the diptheria toxiod in order to stabilize.

To the best of my knowledge no DTaP available in North America still has mercury.

Not sure about the least aluminum, but I am sure someone else has some insight there.

[abigail_b]

I have been looking into this as well. My 3 year old will be starting preschool this fall just as I am due with a new baby. So I am worried about pertussis for the little one, since that is the age range with the biggest risk of serious complications. I SO wish I could get this vaccine separate from the others. Anyway, according to the Dr Sears Vaccine book, published in 2007:
The Daptacel brand (Sanofi Pasteur) contains 330 micrograms of aluminum. No mercury, but 100 micrograms of formaldehyde. The Tripedia brand (Sanofi Pasteur) contains 170 micrograms of aluminum, 100 micrograms of formaldehyde and less than .3 micrograms of mercury. The Infanrix brand (GlaxoSmithKline) contains 625 micrograms of aluminum and 100 micrograms of formaldehyde, (no mercury). Tripedia is the only one that doesn't contain 2-phenoxyethanol (a preservative that is quite toxic but according to this book is in such minuscule amounts in vaccines as to not cause harm).

Not sure if this helps. Basically, the one with the least aluminum and no phenoxyethanol in it is the the only one that could have traces of mercury! Ugh!