Would you get him the DTaP??

[elleystar]

Hi, all! I have a 17 mo DS who has never had any vaccinations. We're pretty opposed to vaccinating but also understand situations may come up in his life where he'll need to get a few, and are ok with that.

This evening DS fell sideways off our porch and wouldn't let go of his big metal Tonka dump truck, so it wound up falling on his face and cutting him across the eyebrow. The cut looked to me like it would need to be glued or stitched, so I drove him to the ER in the next town over, our first medical visit ever, and sure enough it was too big for even glue, so he got 4 stitches. They don't keep anything in stock there, at least for a kid his size. So they told me to go to our ped within 72 hours for the DTaP. They said they've seen a rise in pertussis so I should get it for that, if not the tetanus. I'm okay with that.

Well I've been reading about alot of kids having really bad reactions to it, and am wondering if I should even get it for him at all? I probably should, since it was an outside toy involved but...well, what does everyone else think?

[freestylemama]

We did DTaP for a couple of reasons. First, I don't want my LO to get pertussis. I know that it's not usually life treatening, but it is awful and I don't want her to be sick for three months. My boss had it and it was awful. I've known several other people with it and I'm not willing to not protect her against it. Tetanus doesn't operate the same way other diseases do because it's in the soil. It's not communicable, so herd immunity doesn't factor in its spread like other VPDs. I know the risks of getting it are relatively low, but most of the peer reviewed studies showing its incidence do not look at non-vaccinated populations. Lastly, and this is an anecdote, but my mom is an RN in a state with very strict vaccination standards and stringent homeschooling laws (meaning most kids go to school and are vaxed) and her hospital recently had a little guy admitted with lock jaw. He was deathly ill and on a vent for over a month. He ended up surviving but will have serious breathing problems for the rest of his life.

Good luck with your decision.

[mamadelbosque]

Nope. The DTaP wouldn't help for this cut anyways - if they were seriously worried about tetanus they'd have offerd you the tetanus immunoglobin injection (TIG). As for the pertussis part, bah. Most of us get pertussis every few years - the 'vaccine' does *NOT* prevent transmission (so your DC or you or anyone and everyone else can still be a carrier), but only symptoms. And if you've ever had a cold that just would *NOT* go away? That was probably pertussis. Its only really scary when their really really little (less than 6 months or a year). Your DC is past that stage, so I wouldn't worry in the least.

Good luck!!

[Marnica]

My son is the same age as yours 17 months...also unvaxed.

No I would not get the DTaP now or ever. At this age Pertussis would suck, there is no doubt, but serious complications would be unlikely and I am very into natural medicine and have the knowledge on how to treat pertussis naturally to reduce symptom severity and lengh of infection should we ever contract it. The vaccine is ineffective and does not prevent transmssion. IRL I know 12 children and 1 adult (my husband) who have gotten pertussis. 11 of the children were vaxed, 1 was not. The unvaxed child was treated naturally (no antibiotics) and recovered in about 4 weeks with no complications. The vaxed children were sicker and sicker for longer. Totally anecdotal I know, but this is my experience. DH got WC in college and said it was a cough that he had for a long time, but it didn't really slow him down that much. IMO the DTaP is a highly reactive vaccine with potentially serious effects....I just know too many babies that have had problems with this vaccine (including a SIDS case 14 hrs after DTaP...this is what made me start researching vaxes to begin with)

I am not concerned with tetanus which IMO is more about proper wound care. If my DS ever had an injury that I was TRULY afraid was in danger of tetanus, I would get him the TIG. Post injury DTaP is useless as it takes 2 weeks to begin to confer any type of protection. For the injury you described, I certainly would not be concerned about tetanus.

[elleystar]

Thanks, guys. I'm kind of surprised that they even recommended it to me since it wouldn't help with this particular injury anyway.

Also, they would probably try to get me to do the whole series, wouldn't they? Not just stop at one shot? I'm not sure I like that idea.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by elleystar

Thanks, guys. I'm kind of surprised that they even recommended it to me since it wouldn't help with this particular injury anyway.

Also, they would probably try to get me to do the whole series, wouldn't they? Not just stop at one shot? I'm not sure I like that idea.

Yes absolutely they would. Since 1 shot would not confer full immunity, they would tell you to complete the series.

[Gitti]

It is almost ridiculous. They would peddle their poisons under any premise.

Your son got a deep cut and they want to vaccinate him for whooping cough?

I can just see it:
Kid falls, comes into the ER. They sew him up. They know that most moms would accept a tetanus vaccine under these circumstances. But here is an educated mom. She know this won't fly. So, hey, we'll sell her the vax to preventing whooping cough.

Is there any correlation between getting a cut above the eye and being vulnerable to whooping cough?

Slim balls.

[elleystar]

Originally Posted by Gitti

It is almost ridiculous. They would peddle their poisons under any premise.

Your son got a deep cut and they want to vaccinate him for whooping cough?

I can just see it:
Kid falls, comes into the ER. They sew him up. They know that most moms would accept a tetanus vaccine under these circumstances. But here is an educated mom. She know this won't fly. So, hey, we'll sell her the vax to preventing whooping cough.

Is there any correlation between getting a cut above the eye and being vulnerable to whooping cough?

Slim balls.

Well, they said they didn't even have the tetanus (or DTap) in stock for LOs, not in the ER. They had nothing to give him.

I wonder if maybe I should just call the ped's office and ask for a plain tetanus shot? Or just forget about it?

[mamadelbosque]

Forget about it. There is no straight tetanus shot for little kids (or at least, not one I'm aware of). The closest is a DT vaccine.

[freestylemama]

Gitti, I resent your claim that "an educated mom" would refuse the vaccine. Many moms who choose to vaccinate are educated. A mother might vaccinate her child in the ER even though she knows that it won't help with the current injury because she's concerned about future injuries. Just because someone doesn't make the same choices as you doesn't make them uneducated.

[Ruthla]

But, only an educated mom (or dad) would decline/reject a vaccine under these circumstances.

If you're not educated, you do what the medical professionals tell you to do. When you're educated, you may or may not come to the same conclusions as the medical personell. Some educated moms would ask for the vaccine even if it wasn't offered, and others would decline it no matter what.

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by freestylemama

Gitti, I resent your claim that "an educated mom" would refuse the vaccine. Many moms who choose to vaccinate are educated.

Of course and educated person can choose to vaccinate. You are certainly right. My apology.

A mother might vaccinate her child in the ER even though she knows that it won't help with the current injury because she's concerned about future injuries.

No, that is not correct. It would not help for future injuries unless the child got another vaccine sometime between this vaccine and the next injury.

[freestylemama]

Right, but she might think, hey, we're here, let's start now and then follow up with our doc for the rest of the series.

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by elleystar

I wonder if maybe I should just call the ped's office and ask for a plain tetanus shot? Or just forget about it?

Just forget about it. Kids don't get tetanus. And especially not on the surface of the head where every child bleeds like crazy anyway.

Tetanus can only grow in an anaerobic environment. Free of oxygen. That is not blood and not air. They are full of oxygen as we all know.

I am amazed at the gall of those doctors for even suggesting a tetanus shot under those circumstances. Ah, I know. It's to protect them.

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by freestylemama

Right, but she might think, hey, we're here, let's start now and then follow up with our doc for the rest of the series.

Sure! But would that be considered an educated decision or a spur of the moment decision?

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by elleystar

Well, they said they didn't even have the tetanus (or DTap) in stock for LOs, not in the ER. They had nothing to give him.

I wonder if maybe I should just call the ped's office and ask for a plain tetanus shot? Or just forget about it?

I would forget about it. The fact that they didn't seemed concerned in the ER (didn't freak out and tell you you need to get the TIG ASAP) shows that the wound was not really a true tetanus risk. There is no TT vax for kids under 7 years.