Would you keep adults (family and friends) away from your full term newborn who were not current on their Tdap vaccine? My husband and I are thinking seriously of doing this with all the outbreaks of pertussis lately.
Just to add: A newborn=baby less than 28 days old and if you're really being generous its baby 0-3 months so getting your newborn vaccinated isn't really an option as most pediatricians don't even start vaccinating until at least 2 months old.
No but my situation is different because I can't take this vaccine so it wouldn't have made any sense for me to do this when my dauther was young. Because of that I am VERY diligent about handwashing and such. I also don't go out if I'm sick or have that "I'm getting sick feeling".
Yes -I would! I'm not one to freak out over germs usually (don't use shopping cart and public high chair covers, etc.) but I am adamant about vaccinations! If I knew someone wasn't adequately vaccinated against a life-threatening disease my newborn could contract -no way could they be around them.
No, because that is just ridiculous. I am a former NICU Respiratory Therapist and I did not even do this. I have 3 children ages 15, almost 6 and 9 months, and I have selectively vaccinated my first two and have not vaccinated the third at all. Mine have never been sick with anything more serious than a cold. No ear infections, no flu, no pertussis, no RSV. Just use common sense, wash your hands, have friends and relatives wash their hands and don't let anyone hold the baby that is sick or has recently been sick. And I had all three of my children out in public within a week of them being born.
Lisa
Are you planning on never leaving your house at all? Not you, not your child, not your husband? If not, then every single time one of you walks out of the house you will be surrounded by people with germs who may or may not be current on vaccines (which may or may not prevent why they are vaccinating for any way) and then bring those germs back into the house and around your baby. Like others have mentioned just be diligent with hand washing and try to limit your babies exposure to people who are obviously sick. That is all anyone can do.
There are multiple strains of vaccine resistant pertussis out there. Not only that, the pertussis vaccine is only SO effective. (as are all vaccines.) My niece as well as 5-6 other children in her preschool class caught it, even with up to date vaccines. In other words...your child could still get pertussis...after you've alienated people. The flu is more prevalent the pertussis...WAY MORE. Are you going to keep your child away from people without the flu vaccine? So is chicken pox, and many other vaccinated against illnesses. My point is, NO I wouldn't. It's just kind of...pointless. How about you do what ever other parent does and ask people if they've been sick lately and to always wash their hands first?
how would you know?
my babies were out in the world from day one. obviously we kept drippy phlegmy people away from them, but there's really know way to be sure (short of demanding vax certificates) if everyone you're going to encounter is bug-free.
i'm for sensible precautions, but not for living in a state of anxiety.
khairete
S.
I understand a vigilant desire to protect your newborn. But I am just wondering how are you going to go about this? I have a comic strip cartoon image in my head of the parents asking for documentation of current vaccines before allowing a family member to hold the baby. LOL.
My first daughter was full term and at 2 months she contracted RSV. RSV is a fairly common strain of what is just a cold in adults. In babies it can be fatal. She stopped breathing, was in the hospital for a week. In the first two years of her life she had chronic bronchitis, required regular breathing treatments and was often ill.
When baby #2 came along we took steps to keep germs out. We very politely but firmly told people if they had any kind of illness to please stay away. When someone came for a visit we asked them to wash their hands before holding the baby. We daily wiped high traffic areas (door knobs, toilet handles, light switches) with clorox wipes.
This may have seemed extreme to some, but after all we went through with baby #1, it did not seem extreme to us.
How about before you request vaccinations you just practice some hospital type hygiene in your home. If you have the sniffles stay home. Wash your hands, and clean the home regularly.
You can ask for no visitors for a while.But after that How will you go on to do this call,e-mail,text everyone for their shot record?I understand you wanting to protect baby but guess what baby has been exposed to many germs already right after baby came out of your whomb,hospital stay,on the way out of the hospital your hands your hubbies hands any pets any other siblings.What i'm trying to say is have visitors wash their hands don't let them hold baby if they are coughing or sneezing or just don't answer the door.When you go out in public dress baby right,keep a blanket over him or her.
i'll keep ppl away from my family if they have any vital symptoms that clearly show they are currently sick, but not unvacinated, get your child vacinated, and that will help YOUR baby's immune system fight off the illness it's for. If you chose to keep your child away from ppl who are not vacinated, then (with all due respect) you might as well, lock your child up in room that is bleached daily with no toys and completely iscolated and never allow that child to go to the park, church daycare's or any other social activities that don't require proof of shot records. Kids go unvacinated all the time and quite frankly, it's good for the immune system to be more exposed to germs and junk. The immune system is like a muscle, you have to let it work to be any good. i'm not saying shots arn't good to have, but even in school's/daycares if it's against that families religion to get the child vacinated, the school/daycare cannot make them get this to attend.
i hope you don't decide this, it's all around us, besides, what are you going to do to make sure this is enforced? no one has to show you their shot records and all they have to do is tell you yes when it's really no, and you'd never know.
No, because I would have to keep the siblings away from the baby if I did that... Most people who have contracted pertussis have been fully vaccinated, or are too young to be vaccinated (in other words, their immune system is very weak). Will you be breastfeeding? That is your best option for optimal health for your baby.
My daughter is fully vaccinated and always according to the recommended guidelines. Nevertheless, she caught Pertussis. Texas is dealing with a huge outbreak, higher than the national average. And all the parents who refuse to vaccinate actually are compromising the societal immunity against diseases that were pretty much gone 20 years ago.
If you've been vaccinated (recently), you could still get it but you should only get a milder version. When we (as a family) were quarantined when my daughter got it, my husband did not want me to take the precautionary antibiotics since I was 38 weeks pregnant unless I developed symptoms. I had gotten a Tdap shot in the last 4 years and never developed symptoms. He had a vaccination in the last 7 years and did not develop symptoms either. But our 4yo (who had received all 3 shots by that time) did get it.
However, pertussis is highly airborne. If you are within speaking distance with someone enough to ask if they've been vaccinated, you've already been exposed and compromised. It's a great idea to insist that any direct handlers of the baby be vaccinated, but it wont necessarily protect her at grocery stores, the mall, other public places.
No because i would hope your family and friends would not come visit you if they even have just the sniffles.
I 2nd Momof3girls reply.
C.
.
Yup - Sure would. At least until the child is old enough to get a few of their vaccinations done. I just got a Tdap booster myself last fall. Best gift I can give myself and those around me.
The only excuse is those whose doctors have recommended that they not get the vaccine. Some people have conditions that make vaccines an issue.
It's your choice. I'm not sure how you would know about a person's vaccination history - would you ask?
My daughter and I didn't see many people for the first few months of her life, we just stayed home mostly. But we did have some visitors and an occasional trip to a store - hard to avoid people entirely.
Only if they're sick.
Your call!!!! If so much as a hint was dropped by our friends or family that there was any kind of illness or sniffles...I strongly encouraged them to stay away until they were healthy. And as always I had the hand sanitizer ready when visits took place...I did this for all three of mine. What you feel comfortable with is what is best.
