Help! Help! To Vax for DTaP or No!

[KorbanJ08]

Hi all!
I recently moved to New Mexico to be closer to my sons baby cousin and his grand parents and this is the first time my son has ever been sick. He has never received a shot except the Vitamin K shot after being pressured when I was in active labor. He has been so healthy never a sniffle until now! I know NM has had recent pertussis out breaks should I get him vaxed for that? I am so worried I heard whooping cough can give him a hernia and pneumonia, is that true? His baby cousin who was non vaccinated just recently got the shot. What do I do? My DH is 110% against vaccinations and he says NO. But will that harm baby? Need help from people who have faced this question!!!
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[LisaSedai]

If he is sick right now I wouldn't give him any vaccinations until he gets well.
Whooping cough is dangerous to little ones but older kids and adults usually don't have much problem with it... how old is DS?

[ann_of_loxley]

There is no way I would ever vaccinate for that.
I know thats not much help. It really is a personal decision. If you are worried, the best thing to do is look up those illnesses, find out what the symptoms are and how they can be 'treated' - and what complications can arise from them (and exactly how rare such complications are). It can help you make up your own decision and, if you decide not to get it, can help you become aware of what to do if you child got one of the illnesses.

[Marnica]

I wouldn't touch the DTaP with a 10 foot pole....

Is your LO under 6 months old? If not I wouldn;t think twice about it. If he is I may think twice about it but still wouldn't do it

There are always pertussis outbreaks all over the world despite vaccination rates. The disease cycles every 3-4 years. It always has and always will regardless of vax rates.

[Nicci P]

If you want a lot of info on vaccines I would recommend getting a book called "Raising a Vaccine Free Child"...its amazing and the research that has gone into it is so extensive. It's fully referenced so you can go and look at all the sources yourself.
After reading it theres no way I'd get my child vaccinated.
With vaxes like DTaP theres a pretty big flaw in the thinking. You can catch tetanus for exaple more than once, if you get it naturally it doesnt make you immune. So why would getting it injected into you make you immune to it?

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by Nicci P

If you want a lot of info on vaccines I would recommend getting a book called "Raising a Vaccine Free Child"...its amazing and the research that has gone into it is so extensive. It's fully referenced so you can go and look at all the sources yourself.
After reading it theres no way I'd get my child vaccinated.
With vaxes like DTaP theres a pretty big flaw in the thinking. You can catch tetanus for exaple more than once, if you get it naturally it doesnt make you immune. So why would getting it injected into you make you immune to it?

just to clarify you can't catch tetanus. It is not a communicable disease. maybe you meant you can "get" tetanus more than once.
Tetanus is caused when a bacteria (Clostridium tetani (C. tetani)) that live in the soil enter a wound. The spores release bacteria that spread and make a poison called tetanospasmin. The spores are anerobic so thrive only WITHOUT oxegen. That's why tetanus occurs usually in deep puncture wounds or crushing injuried where the wound is may not be exposed to oxegen.

[larkedyflarp]

The nurse at pediatrician's told me that the Pertussis part of the DTaP is what most children have a bad reactions too- also this vaccine is the least effective- what's the point in risking.

[KorbanJ08]

Thanks every body I thought I had done a lot of research, but you guys told me some things I did not know, like the 3-4 year Pertussis cycle. And I will look up that book too. I will do more research and keep him away from big crowds, sick kids and sharp needles.

[Nicci P]

Originally Posted by Marnica

just to clarify you can't catch tetanus. It is not a communicable disease. maybe you meant you can "get" tetanus more than once.
Tetanus is caused when a bacteria (Clostridium tetani (C. tetani)) that live in the soil enter a wound. The spores release bacteria that spread and make a poison called tetanospasmin. The spores are anerobic so thrive only WITHOUT oxegen. That's why tetanus occurs usually in deep puncture wounds or crushing injuried where the wound is may not be exposed to oxegen.

You're right, I did mean get it. Bad choice of words! Oops.

[13Sandals]

also, keep in mind that the diagnosing of pertussis has changed since they began advocating for the teen tdap booster. doctors used to be very reluctant to diagnose pertussis in patients who had been previously vaccinated with DTaP. just because they have now admitted that the vaccine can wear off and are diagnosing it more often, doesn't mean there is an actual increase of cases.

[hollytheteacher]

Originally Posted by larkedyflarp

The nurse at pediatrician's told me that the Pertussis part of the DTaP is what most children have a bad reactions too- also this vaccine is the least effective- what's the point in risking.

She was probably thinking of DTP which used to cause "prolonged crying" as one of the possible side effects. The acellular pertussis (supposedly) no longer has that as a "risk"....and I think the reason why it has a rep of being the least effective is because you can still catch pertussis after being vax'd but it is a much milder case.

Dtap is actually the ONE vax we decided to do all the doses for for ds (but very spaced out...he's had three of them and he is 26 months).

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by hollytheteacher

She was probably thinking of DTP which used to cause "prolonged crying" as one of the possible side effects. The acellular pertussis (supposedly) no longer has that as a "risk"....and I think the reason why it has a rep of being the least effective is because you can still catch pertussis after being vax'd but it is a much milder case.

Encephalitis is a tabled vaccine injury for DTaP; it may not happen on the same scale as with DTP, but the prolonged crying reaction is far from rare. Though, I have come across those who still vax after having this reaction occur, because their doctors tell them it is normal.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

Encephalitis is a tabled vaccine injury for DTaP; it may not happen on the same scale as with DTP, but the prolonged crying reaction is far from rare. Though, I have come across those who still vax after having this reaction occur, because their doctors tell them it is normal.

yup...I read some study (have to try and find and post) taht showed that it was the minor reactions that appeared LESS OFTEN with the DTaP than the DTP (fever, injection site soreness etc...) but that the major side effects (brain inflamation...the DTaP cry) continue to occur with the same frequency as the DTP. Perhaps the severity has been lessened somewhat my making it acellular, but it apparently still happens just as often. IMO any amount of brain inflamation mild moderate or severe is UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!

[hollytheteacher]

hmm...i'm not sure, but my ds who has received dtap has never had a reaction at all. The last time he got one (which was like when he was 18 months?? i think? he's 26 months now so you can see how delayed/stretched out we do them lol) he didn't cry at all..didn't even peep and he had no fever or any type of reaction.

I'm not saying it to try and convince someone to do it, but there are many negative stories on here and not many positive ones so i just wanted to put it out there Dtap is one we felt we wanted to do for our ds and i definitely think every family should research and evaluate what feels right for each individual child!

[nataliachick7]

My son had Encephalitis in 2006 after DtaP TWICE. He ALMOST DIED. This is a vaccine with very dangerous side effects in my opinion.

[caned & able]

Encephalitis? Doctors have know about that side effect since the 1940s:

Byers, R.K., F.C. Moll, "Encephalopathy Following Prophylactic Pertussis Vaccine," Pediatrics 1:147, (1948).

...and there are more, but, who has time to look it all up?

You should know that this vaccine was used until 1996 in the U.S., despite all of the well-known side-effects. The DTaP has been used since then.

And of course, SIDS,

http://www.vaccinationnews.com/Rally/Sids&VaxCoult.htm
http://www.*********/vaccine/sids.html

[jeniferlm]

One of my vaccinated children brought home pertussis to all our other children. They all got it. My littlest was 1 and a half and had no problems with it. None of them did. They wouldn't test the other kids for it though. Can't let it be known the vaccine doesn't work now can we?