My OB wants me to get the tdap vaccine within the next few weeks but I am a little scared. The last time I got the vaccine was five years ago. The nurse gave me the vaccine and let me go immediately. It took me from the time I left the room until I reached the clinic elevators to feel like total crap. In that short amount of time my glands had become swollen, my throat hurt, my nose was running and I had horrible body aches. For two weeks after I ran a fever and felt like total crap. It went way beyond a little case of the sniffles- I was down for the count. While not an allergic reaction clearly I had a pretty severe immune response to the vaccine. I was a teeny bit concerned about getting that sick again so I brought it up to my OB. I expected her to say that I shouldn't worry but instead she told me I needed to get the shot in the Urgent Care clinic instead of the OB department because they would be better equipped to handle a possible reaction. Obviously this did nothing to calm my fears. Now I am left wondering if it is a good idea or not. I am all for vaccines but if there is a possibility I might react is it worth it? What do you ladies think...if you were me would you do it?
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Personally, I probably would, just because the thought of potentially exposing my newborn to pertussis scares the crap out of me, but I would definitely do it in the recommended hospital setting. Before doing anything though, I'd try to get more info - is it possible to get them separately? Do you need another one only five years after your previous shot? What kind of reaction are you likely to have this time? How will it be managed in Urgent Care? Will their management be enough to stop a reaction altogether or what should you expect?
Good luck getting some answers!
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I would probably do it, but I also worked in an elementary school setting throughout my pregnancy and was very susceptible to germs and illness. I delayed my flu shot, and ended up with a horrific flu at 18 weeks that really made for a dangerous situation for myself and baby.
I'm hoping your reaction is much milder this time! Being in UC is just a precaution, so don't let that worry you too much!
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I would get it at urgent care...pertussis scares me too much.
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I would get it. My dad has seen babies die from whooping cough. It's not something to mess around with.
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i wouldn't. i didn't get it when pregnant, but everyone else around us did and mine was up to date (within a year).
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My OB recommended that I NOT get it while pregnant. It was given to me two hours after DD was born, by a nurse in the hospital.
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I'm very pro vaccine, but if you had such a strong reaction before... I'd be wary of risking it again!
Is your SO and family immunized? I'd maybe mitigate risk by making sure everyone around you is vaccinated.
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I wouldn't while pregnant for fear of what a reaction might do to the baby. Getting it right after the birth, when you're already in the hospital and being monitored, sounds more prudent to me. HOWEVER, I can't get the shot at all because I'm deadly allergic to tetanus (like, anaphylactic shock allergic) so I'm naturally pretty freaked out about that particular vaccine and your previous reaction sounds really scary to me.
As an aside, apparently the pertussis part of the vaccine doesn't last nearly as long as they once thought it did -- in some people, it can wear off after as little as a year. I'm crossing my fingers this will lead to them decoupling the components and developing a pertussis-only vaccine approved for adults (the only one out there now is just for kids and unfortunately wasn't around when I was young). Not holding my breath, though.
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Yes I would do it.
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I would skip it, at least until after the birth.
I was planning to get mine in the hospital after deliver but was too sick. I got it a month later. -
I definitely would not get it while pregnant.
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I would not, and will not, get it while pregnant, but afterward, yes.
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I didn't get it with my first maybe b/c it wasn't that big a deal then. With my second almost 3 years after my first, they offered it at the hospital after I had my second. I think if you do decide to get it then would be a better time since you're already in the hospital and you've delivered your baby in case you have the same reaction before. I'm sorry you had such a horrible experience with it the first time.
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I would not get it while pregnant, but would encourage DH get it.
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According to University of Washington, while According to cdc, pregnant women should get boosted between 27 and 32 weeks with every pregnancy, because pertussis has resurged so much. I didn't boost during pregnancy because I ha just gotten TdAP recently. If you choose not to vaccinate, could you "cocoon" the baby by making sure that everyone else was newly vaccinated?
And finally, are you sure you weren't coming down with something that hit you right after receiving the vaccine? It sounds like such an atypical vaccine reaction.
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I wouldn't get it. If you had a bad reaction I wouldn't be surprised for it to happen again and that would feel even worse when you are pregnant.
I was uncomfortable getting any vaccines while I was pregnant, but I did have it after I had LO while I was still in the hospital. If you feel strongly you should have it maybe you could get it after you give birth and you'll still be in the hospital where they can monitor you?
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I am pro vaccine but did not get the tdap while pregnant. I had a bad reaction as a baby (went unconscious) and have not had it since. I made sure DH had it, and LO got her first one at 2 mos under close supervision. I had been told my whole life to never get it again, so my Dr and I did not feel comfortable giving it to me.
It's a personal decision but I would consult with more than one Dr and do some research before you make it.
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@Bookish: just curious, TdAP wasn't around when you were a baby. Were you thinking that you reacted to the tetanus portion? Because the acellular pertussis is completely different from what we got as kids?
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@Mrs. Jacks: My bad, I should have specified. I reacted to the pertussis vaccine specifically, not the TdAP. I may try again to get it in a few years, because the Dr explained it's a new combination, like you said. It's the main reason I was ok with LO getting it, because it's a whole new formula. The Dr just wasn't comfortable with me getting the pertussis part of it. Hope that makes more sense
ETA: This is what happens when I don't have my caffeine in the morning
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@Bookish: that makes sense :). I would think that you would be much less likely to react the the acellular vaccine
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I researched this a lot while I was pregnant and then decided to get it. The CDC recommends that you get it during pregnancy. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pertussis/tdap-pregnancy-hcp.htm
My understanding is that it confers the baby some immunity, immunity that they would otherwise not get until they were old enough to get the shot themselves. My arm got a little sore, but that was it.@tillma: I had something happen like that in response to the flu shot, but in hindsight, I'm pretty sure it was coincidence.
Another coincidence story... I was going to have my LO get the flu vaccine last Friday, but I decided not to because she had a little cold and I didn't want to be confused about what was from the vaccine and what was from the minor cold. Well, Monday, she had a fever of 102. I'm so thankful I didn't have her get the vaccine because I would have TOTALLY blamed it for the fever, when it was really something else. All this to say that if the reaction you had isn't typical, it may have been something else, even if the timing was perfect. I think it has to happen multiple times before you draw that conclusion, though I completely understand your anxiety about it and desire to avoid feeling like crap or endangering the baby.
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