Someone PLEASE help me sort info on tetanus vaccine!

[Nicks Mom]

We have not vax'd at all and ds is now 7 1/2.  Since he is so active outdoors we decided to do the tetanus.  We have a drs appt tomorrow - the dr said he had the vac with the 3 in it (pertussus & diptheria too) and would I be ok with it.  Initially I was, but now I'm seeing where they don't give the pertussis to over 7 yo's.  I called the cdc and they said it would just be the Td vaccine (and again in 4 wks and 6 mos - 3 vac's total).

I have been trying to do research on this vaccine and feel like I"m getting flooded with all sorts of confusing info.  Can anyone share what they know??  I have a limited amt of time to figure this out before the appt and would like to get it taken care of if possible. 

Please help!!

[Bad Mama Jama]

I would also be interested in knowing what mamas are saying about this one.

[slmommy]

Well that is really interesting, there are adult Tdaps, but only approved for 10-11 years +

http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_boostrix.pdf

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM142764.pdf

There is a Td for 7+ 

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM246215.pdf

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM164127.pdf

and also T for 7+ 

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM166873.pdf

The just T contains full dose of thimerosal, Td only trace. I would get the Td personally. (Td Tenivac had no thim. but looks like it is not available anymore, only Decavac or Mass biologicals version)

All the vaccines licensed in the US are listed here:

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/ucm093833.htm

(in case I missed any)

[Nicks Mom]

Thank you soooooo much!!!  I just had time to do a quick read over them and it still scares me to death.  I wish I felt I could avoid all of this. 
 

[slmommy]

I was really puzzled by cdc's response, I thought the Tdap started at 7!

This vax is so confusing, with DTaP, Tdap, Td, T, pedi/adult versions... and several different brands!

One thing to keep in mind is that if DS had tetanus concerning injury, the protocol (for unvaxed) would be Tetanus Immunoglobulin, which is a blood product, which some people also find scary.

[Nicks Mom]

Again, a huge thank you for your help!  We had an appt today to check a shadow on ds's skull (seen on a dental xray - they did more xray's today and it seems to be nothing)  so I wanted to have him get that tetanus taken care of.  They had to search the whole clinic complex for the Td, but finally found some in urgent care.  They were really good about it though.  It was Decavac.  And thanks to you slmommy, ds was saved from an extra immunization.  The dr kept saying that he needed 4 shots total, but I read to him where it said that unimmunized over 7 year olds would need 3 shots - he finally found something that conferred and he was ok with it - oh I hate being in that position!  But it so shows that we MUST be informed!

So ds had his first vax today at 7 1/2.   The only other one I need to check into is polio.
 

[nukuspot]

How did he do with it?  I'm interested too.  The only vax I am considering right now is tetanus (for the future once my kids start full time school and I will have to rely on a school nurse to clean any wounds they get at school, so therefore would be paranoid about tetanus.)  Weighing the DTap/Tdap (which I also thought was approved for over age 7) vs the Td I would have a hard time choosing...The reactiveness of the pertussis portion of the first or the small amount of thimerasol in the latter?  Hmmm, it's a hard call.  I might choose Td like you did.

Just curious, why also are you looking into polio?

[Nicks Mom]

He was totally fine with the injection - I was pleasantly surprised.  I told him to think about one of his friends - she has childhood diabetes and has to have injections daily.  He didn't even flinch.  And there is no redness, no soreness and no other obvious reaction.  He does have an extremely good immune system though so that may be helping.  (I partly credit this to his body not being barraged with vaccines all his life).

Polio only because getting the disease could cause serious life-changing complications.  We have a friend who has a bad leg because of having it as a child.  But I need to do some research yet.
 

And I looked over my scribbles from talking with the cdc and she did say they could d 1 tdap and 3 td.  But the Decavac info on the fda site said just 3 of the td would do it.  Honestly, it is all very confusing - it can change depending on who is saying it.

[ma2two]

There hasn't been a case of wild polio in the U.S. (not caused by the vaccine) since 1979. So it seems that the chance of a life changing adverse reaction to the vaccine would be a lot higher than the chance of being the first person in the U.S. to catch polio in in 33 years AND having a life-changing complication from it.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/polio.html

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM133479.pdf

Also, the CDC's catch up schedule for tetanus containing vaccines for children over 7 is the following:

3 Td

or

1 Tdap and 2 Td

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/downloads/child/catchup-schedule-pr.pdf