Pertussis Vaccines

[Phoebe]

I'm confused. I got a tetanus booster in 2009. Our Ped said they are finding the pertussis/tetanus booster is only good for 3 to 4 years as opposed to the 5 years originally predicted. My PCP says the booster is good for 10 years.

[scrub-jay]

I'm confused. I got a tetanus booster in 2009. Our Ped said they are finding the pertussis/tetanus booster is only good for 3 to 4 years as opposed to the 5 years originally predicted. My PCP says the booster is good for 10 years.

10 years is what the guidelines say, however, there has been recent research indicating that the booster is only good for 3-4 years. It just takes time for the guidelines/recommendations to catch up to the research.

[DCJenn]

My understanding is that the Td vaccination- just tetanus- does last the 10 years but the dTap effects fade, especially the pertussis part.

J.

[Momo]

My paternal grandmother lost a baby to whooping cough almost 100 years ago...I can't belive we are still losing babies to this awful disease.

Yikes, I had no idea! I got a tetanus shot when I hurt my finger 3 years ago, but I'm not sure if it was only tetanus... I just assumed I was okay since I had my immunizations when I was little. Can you get the Pertussis vaccine when you're pregnant?

No. They gave me mine after I was discharged. I walked (in hospital) to my drs ofc.

Since we knew AM would likely be premature we asked all parents, gparents, aunts and uncles to get pertussis and flu. The all did so willingly.

[ladymoreta]

I got some good info at DS's 18 month appointment. His doctor recommends that at least the parents andsiblings get vaccinated if it's been longer than one year since their last pertussis booster. They will give me the vaccine in the hospital after I deliver. He said that the tetanus booster I had three years ago almost certainly did not have pertussis as they do not usually give the combined one to adults. I don't know if that's just hospitals around here or everywhere.

He said he was much more concerned with DD's visitors having the flu vaccine, though, as it is much more likely for her to be infected with that. He would recommend both, though.