DTaP vaccine during preg.????

[sunshine28]

A friend was told by her doc. to get the DTap, so that her baby will be immune to whooping cough immedieately. Anyone heard of this before?!

Not only her though!!! Her husband should also get it! How will her kid be immune if her husband gets the vaccine when she's 6 weeks before her DD????!!!!!

[leafylady]

This is being promoted big time in the news, related to whooping cough outbreaks in Washington and some other states. I'm going to ask my OB about it at the next visit. My boyfriend is due for a dtap anyway and is not opposed to vaccines, so I've asked him to get one.

I'm not sure about my kids' last boosters. I may inquire about that.

I don't think the shot for the family members or mother makes the baby immune. The healthcare establishment is trying to create a protected area around the child, so that all of the people who will be in close contact with the baby will be vaccinated and presumably immune.

If you go google and read the articles, you might also find that many of the people getting whooping cough were in fact vaccinated and that the problem may be that the current vaccine really isn't all that effective.

[esmicosaquehago]

My friend just had a baby, and her doc told her it was up to her if she wanted to get a booster while pregnant. She ended up getting one shortly postpartum.  But the doc did highly recommend her husband getting one, which he did.

[kparker]

With TX having whooping cough heading my way, my husband and I both got our boosters. I was 17 weeks and the doc said it was perfectly fine, so I did. Husband got his few days before me.

[katelove]

Yes, the idea is that those in closest contact with the baby are immune. If youre considering it you may be interested to know that Australia just dropped it's program of free pertussis vaccination for new parents because it wasn't helping to reduce the incidence of pertussis infection among babies. This is probably because the pertussis vaccine causes the recipient to have lesser symptoms but doesn't prevent them from being infectious to others.

[sunshine28]

Thank you all. I personally would not get it during pregnancy, but I passed on the info, and told her to research before she decides. I guess her husband will get it, and we'll see what will be with her.

[kparker]

I probably would've held off myself until after the baby was born but I'm around my friend's newborn often sooooo yeah. Might as well!

[kristenburgess]

The vaccine isn't 100% effective, like others have said, but it lessens the severity of pertussis.  I find the information about Australia interesting, because I've wondered if just lessening the severity of the illness for a person would keep an infant from getting it.  That said, my husband is due for a tetanus booster and is considering getting the TdaP (the adult version of the DTaP) since he hasn't had it and we'll have a newbie in the winter.

I personally think the best option is to stay home with your newborn, and try and minimize situations where exposure would be a problem.  I know it's hard if there are older children in daycare/school and I even worry about my husband bringing it home from the office.  But I think if you stay home with your newborn, breastfeed, and you eat well then you're not likely to have your child pick up pertussis. 

[BroodyWoodsgal]

You couldn't pay me enough money to get that shot while pregnant. I mean, we're totally vax free over here, so I wouldn't be getting it anyway...but I cannot understand how anyone would be okay with putting that crap in their body while a little tiny human being was forming in their womb. That's nuts.

Seriously, look up the actual ingredients in the vaccine..and then tell me it's not nuts. Don't eat deli meat...but definitely get the Dtap shot. Oh, okaaay.
 

[Adaline'sMama]

I got my booster the day after I gave birth to DD in the hospital.

[wissa19]

I went ahead and got mine. Of course, there is always a concern about taking anything while pregnant.  I imagine, if you're against vaccines you probably wouldn't get it anyway.

This one always cause my arm to hurt for days and honestly I couldn't imagine dealing with that right after I had my baby.  Plus, my youngest will be in preschool and I have no idea whether or the kids he will be around will have been vaccinated. 

[firespiritmelody]

No vaccines for me, especially while pregnant. I 100% believe in the idea of vaccination - it's the drug companies I don't trust. There's big money to be made and I don't trust them one bit. Like a pp said, if you look at the actual ingredients in some of these vaccines, it's really disturbing. It's also unfortunate that many doc's don't actually know the risks - there was a 700% increase in m/c associated with the H1N1 vaccine a couple of years ago and doc's and pharmacies etc were practically shoving it down women's throats. Scary stuff.

There has also been a study just released out of CA that shows that something like 80% of the kids coming down with whopping cough are fully vaccinated, about 10% were partially vax'd and 10% unvaxed. The doc running the study said they were really alarmed that so many fully vax'd kids were getting so sick. Turns out Galaxo-Smith-Cline never actually put the whopping cough vax through any LONG term trials - that means they essentially have no idea how long it takes for it to ware off. :(

[kparker]

I'm 100% pro-vax for humans and for pets. In the animal industry, I've seen the horrific results of not getting some or all shots that are recommended for cats and dogs alike. I know humans aren't going to be exposed to as many terrible debilitating diseases that we still see in animals, but the result is all the same to me and worth the risk of whatever might be in that shot.

That being said, I hate vaccines (getting them) and will be putting my kid on a selective and probably delayed schedule as well. I only get what I feel is absolutely necessary, myself - TDaP being one of them. I didn't get a LOT of the "recommended" vaccines for humans age 12+, and I don't see the need to go back and get the ones I missed nor give them to my kid either. Some things I haven't even begun to come close to being exposed to in my nearly 30 years, and those aren't even severe illnesses, just inconvenient ones. Heck with that!

[mamaforever]

I plan to get the pertussies booster after giving birth in the hospital.  The only thing I worry about is if it will affect my milk supply at all.  I struggled with milk supply issues with DS1 and I hope to avoid any problems this time.  Does anyone know if that would affect it at all?  I can only find information that it is safe to BF after getting the vaccine.

[finnegansmom]

Originally Posted by mamaforever 

I plan to get the pertussies booster after giving birth in the hospital.  The only thing I worry about is if it will affect my milk supply at all.  I struggled with milk supply issues with DS1 and I hope to avoid any problems this time.  Does anyone know if that would affect it at all?  I can only find information that it is safe to BF after getting the vaccine.

It shouldn't be a problem at all - your milk won't be in if you get the vax right after birth anyways.  I'm getting the booster after birth this year, I haven't had the vax in well over 10 years and since I'm prone to impaling rusty metal things into my foot, I'm due for the tetanus part anyways....  Just make sure you are nice and hydrated after the birth and nurse nurse nurse even with no milk yet.  That will help your milk come in faster.

The family being vaccinated won't make the baby immune but it can help shield the virus from the newborn - it's called cocooning and is what is recommended by doctors for whopping cough this year.  We selective vax and don't usually start until 6 months, I'll play it by ear and see how active things our in our school/community before we start.

[OrangeMoon]

Originally Posted by katelove 

Yes, the idea is that those in closest contact with the baby are immune. If youre considering it you may be interested to know that Australia just dropped it's program of free pertussis vaccination for new parents because it wasn't helping to reduce the incidence of pertussis infection among babies. This is probably because the pertussis vaccine causes the recipient to have lesser symptoms but doesn't prevent them from being infectious to others.

That is really interesting.