Dtap Vax while pregnant

[saralia]

I am currently 35.5 weeks pregnant and my midwife keeps insisting I get the Dtap vax now while still pregnant so that my immunity will be built up by the time baby gets here. She says it takes a few weeks before that can happen, and in my state (Ohio) Pertussis is really bad and super dangerous to an infant, which she had first hand experience with one of her other patients and the baby almost died. She also wants me to be sure my other children, husband, and grandparents are vaxed for it as well.

My concern is the levels of aluminum, mercury, formaldehyde, and polysorbate 80 in this vax. If I get it now all that stuff will go to baby. If I wait til delivery to get it I won't have any immunities for several weeks after getting the shot. It's a fairly new procedure to get it while still pregnant so how do they know it's even safe?

A few years ago I would have never questioned this but after researching many vaccinations I'm afraid to do it now or ever. I just don't know what the safest choice is. I don't want to put my baby in danger either way.

[PEEK05]

My doctors kept trying to push me too after delivery because in WA we have had an 'epidemic' but I never got it and won't.  My son has never been vaccinated for it.

[thinline]

Have them check your titers to see if you have antibodies to B. Pertussis. Just a simple blood test. If that comes out that you do, maybe midwife will drop the issue. However, some think just because you produce antibodies doesnt necessarily mean you're immune..Since the immune system can be so complex....like the others have said, breastfeed and baby wear and you are protected more so than getting the vaccine. I wouldn't have my family members get it either.

[MorganTho]

DTaP is for 3 types of bacteria and acellular therefore it cannot shed. The people in both articles were spreading pertussis bordatella because they were vaccinated and therefore asymptomatic.

Quoting sreichelt26:

Shedding means that you're contagious after you get it. Here are some articles now that I'm on the computer:

http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/whooping-cough-vaccine-doesnt-work-gsk-says-we-never-bothered-to-check/

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/5/00-0512_article.htm

Quoting saralia:

What do you mean by shed? I've read in the Dr. Sears vax book that this particular vax is not live therefore can't get you sick. Is that not right?



Ew and I just looked it up again and one of the ingredients is "cow tissue extract".

[TrentsMom84]

This is just my personal thought process on this particular shot (FWIW I vax selectively and on a delayed schedule):

In order for Tdap to work you need the booster every 10 years (per the CDC).  So under normal circumstances I would say if you have gotten the vax and will continue to vax for it then you need to keep up on your boosters.  However because there is so much crap going on with Pertussis right now-a big push for everyone to get reimmunized yet no evidence that this particular strain the vaccine carries is even effective at preventing infection-I would just wait until this all shakes out and we figure out what we actually need to lower the risk for pertussis. 

Lots of hand washing will go a long way in the preventing the spread of disease :)

[Sarah725]

 i dont like that idea.

[JoJoBean8]

If you want to get the vax I would wait until baby is born.

[LuvAZmomma]

I am against vaxing

[louzannalady]

The vax sheds and compromises your immune system for a couple of weeks. I just had my baby six weeks ago and declined it all together- before and after pregnancy!