Considering DT. Any advice?

[sawingjello]

We are doing selective/delayed vaccines.  So far my son has had one DTaP at 4 months.  He is going in soon for his 6 month appt.  After reading more I have decided I don't want to give him the aP portion of the vaccine.  I would like to vaccinate him against tetanus though, so I was thinking we would give DT at 6 and 8 months.  We aren't given anything else until closer to school age.

He is already a very active baby.  We live on 1/3 acre where horses used to live.  There are many horses in our neighborhood.  He will definitely be getting into situations where he could receive puncture wounds in our yard.  (just being a normal, active kid).

So, has anyone done the DT vax instead of DTaP?  If so, what are your experiences?  Any reasons to avoid it?  I have heard it can contain Mercury.  We have to make a decision in the next couple of weeks.  I am trying to weigh the risks of tetanus vs. the vax.

Thank you for your help.

[ema-adama]

To the best of my knowledge DT does contain mercury.

This is a vax/disease that I often revisit. While it is very rare, children do get the disease tetanus. And while it is very rare, children do have serious vaccine reactions. It is also rare, but vaccinated people can get tetanus. 

I honestly do not know what the right decision is for my family. I wish we had better information to be able to predict when the vaccine won't work (when that happens) and when unvaccinated  children will get tetanus(when that happens).

I know that should I decide to give the vaccine, I would support my child with a nutrient dense diet, keep stress levels down (as I would when they are sick with anything) and stay away from acetaminophen and sugar. I would probably also give extra vit C to help support detox with regard to the mercury.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by ema-adama 

To the best of my knowledge DT does contain mercury.

Only if one considers the 0.3 microgram residual upper limit to be "mercury-containing."

[ETA.--There is a non-U.S. Sanofi Pasteur DT with 25 microgram content.]

[sawingjello]

Thank you both so much for the information.  Still researching, but I am leaning toward getting it.

[ema-adama]

Ah, were I live I can only get the Sanofi Pasteur DT. Who makes the DT with less thimerasol? How easy is it to get in the US?
 

Originally Posted by Otto 

Only if one considers the 0.3 microgram residual upper limit to be "mercury-containing."

[ETA.--There is a non-U.S. Sanofi Pasteur DT with 25 microgram content.]

[Marnica]

Aventis makes it. I believe it is the only pediatric DT used in the US. It has trace amounts of thimerasol and .17 mg of aluminum

https://www.vaccineshoppe.com/image.cfm?doc_id=5972&image_type=product_pdf

 

Originally Posted by ema-adama 

Ah, were I live I can only get the Sanofi Pasteur DT. Who makes the DT with less thimerasol? How easy is it to get in the US?
 

[ema-adama]

Thank you   Quote:

Originally Posted by Marnica 

Aventis makes it. I believe it is the only pediatric DT used in the US. It has trace amounts of thimerasol and .17 mg of aluminum

https://www.vaccineshoppe.com/image.cfm?doc_id=5972&image_type=product_pdf

 

 

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Marnica 

Aventis makes it. I believe it is the only pediatric DT used in the US. It has trace amounts of thimerasol and .17 mg of aluminum

https://www.vaccineshoppe.com/image.cfm?doc_id=5972&image_type=product_pdf

Sanofi is Aventis. (I think Aventis Pasteur was renamed Sanofi Pasteur a few years ago.) But, yah, any DT you get in the U.S. will have less than 0.3 micrograms mercury in a 0.5 ml dose.

[sawingjello]

I just found this today:

From:  http://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/safetyavailability/vaccinesafety/ucm096228.htm

Table 3: Thimerosal and Expanded List of Vaccines - (updated 3/14/2008)
Thimerosal Content in Currently Manufactured U.S. Licensed Vaccines

DT	No Trade Name	Sanofi Pasteur, Inc	< 0.00012% (single dose)	< 0.3 µg/0.5mL dose
		Sanofi Pasteur, Ltd3	0.01%	25 µg/0.5 mL dose

From what I can tell, they make a single dose vial and a 10 dose vial.  The 10 dose vial has more mercury in it.  My pediatrician's office said that they carry the one dose vials.  I have an appointment for Friday morning for this vaccine but I am still not sure if I should get it.  There is mercury in it and the information about the prevalence of tetanus is unclear.  Still deciding.  Ugh!  This is not an easy task, as you all know.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by sawingjello 

I just found this today:

From:  http://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/safetyavailability/vaccinesafety/ucm096228.htm

Table 3: Thimerosal and Expanded List of Vaccines - (updated 3/14/2008)
Thimerosal Content in Currently Manufactured U.S. Licensed Vaccines

DT	No Trade Name	Sanofi Pasteur, Inc	< 0.00012% (single dose)	< 0.3 µg/0.5mL dose
		Sanofi Pasteur, Ltd3	0.01%	25 µg/0.5 mL dose

From what I can tell, they make a single dose vial and a 10 dose vial.  The 10 dose vial has more mercury in it.  My pediatrician's office said that they carry the one dose vials.  I have an appointment for Friday morning for this vaccine but I am still not sure if I should get it.  There is mercury in it and the information about the prevalence of tetanus is unclear.  Still deciding.  Ugh!  This is not an easy task, as you all know.

Note the footnote on the second entry, which reads: "3. This vaccine is not marketed in the US."

[ma2two]

According to the CDC's PInk Book chapter on tetanus, there are about 30 cases of tetanus per year in the U.S. Most are in heroin users and people over 40.  About 3 people die of tetanus per year in the U.S., which is about 10% of the cases.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/tetanus.pdf
 

Originally Posted by sawingjello 

the information about the prevalence of tetanus is unclear.

[MamaJessW]

my son had a reaction to his first DTAP at 3 1/2 (face swelling/throat swelling).  We have since then given him a single DT shot without any reaction at all.