Just to be a stickler, the adult booster is called the Tdap. I was very obnoxious when it came to my newborns (both winter babies) being around other people. I sent an e-mail out to my family and close friends asking that at least two weeks before the babies were due that they have a seasonal flu vaccine and to get their Tdap booster if they hadn't already. If they didn't get vaccinated, they couldn't come visit the babies. I think the email went out to about 30 friends and family and no one refused my conditions. I'm quite proud of that.
Anyway, I don't monkey around with vaccine preventable illnesses and sure as hell not with pertussis.
I think this is good though. I hardly remembered to wash my damn hands before hold my friend's newborn. People are just excited and forget because they aren't the one reading the books and websites and all about all the needed whatnots. That info flies out of your brain real fast if you aren't in baby mode in your own life.
I wish you concerned parents were the patients I take care of! So many moms sign the denial form for the tdap because they "don't like needles" or "I've heard it hurts". I educate and sometimes I can sway them. I'm also a huge stickler about telling husbands/boyfriends, grandmas, friends, etc... To go to the health department to get their booster. They usually look at me like I'm talking Greek or something.
I don't know how you stay polite in that situation. I would not be able to resist the urge to say, yeah, well, your baby cracking ribs or you burying your baby both hurt MUCH worse than a little needle stick.
Just to be a stickler, the adult booster is called the Tdap. I was very obnoxious when it came to my newborns (both winter babies) being around other people. I sent an e-mail out to my family and close friends asking that at least two weeks before the babies were due that they have a seasonal flu vaccine and to get their Tdap booster if they hadn't already. If they didn't get vaccinated, they couldn't come visit the babies. I think the email went out to about 30 friends and family and no one refused my conditions. I'm quite proud of that.
Anyway, I don't monkey around with vaccine preventable illnesses and sure as hell not with pertussis.
I think this is good though. I hardly remembered to wash my damn hands before hold my friend's newborn. People are just excited and forget because they aren't the one reading the books and websites and all about all the needed whatnots. That info flies out of your brain real fast if you aren't in baby mode in your own life.
Totally true! On the hand washing thing, silly anecdote:
A month ago, I got to be in the delivery room when my BFF gave birth to her daughter (amazing!) A little while after the baby was born, her DH asked if I wanted to hold her. Of course I did and said, "Hold on. Let me wash my hands first." The OB and two nurses both said, "Good girl! Thanks for doing that." LOL! So I remembered something from when I delivered.
This. But, frankly, I only get tetanus shots when I have an accident and need one. Which, I guess, if often enough to be covered.
BUT I think I'm due. I was going to wait a year or so so that I'll be covered when we TTC, but now this article is telling me that it's best to get it in the 3rd tri? Hmm.
Also, if I am not mistaken, it seems like all of us got the whole cell vaccine. This one... wears off less? We still need boosters, but the first shot lasted longer than today's shots?
But aren't some tetanus shots only Td? So they don't have pertussis in them.
I've heard that all tetanus shots are actually TDaP, but I'm not sure that's entirely true, or how long that's been the case.
Maybe? This should really go into a category of "I don't know." You'd still have to get a drug company to manufacture the vax for the general populace.
true. But I keep getting told that it's the R&D that makes shit so expensive. Manufacturing is peanuts in comparison. Soembody is already making the (not as effective) vaccinne, right, so if the expensive part is taken care of and they are just handed a new formulation I can't imagine things would really change that much.
I normally never post on this board (so likely none of you know me ) but since I work in vaccine manufacturing (I provide technical support to manufacturing of Hepatitis A vaccine and previously to seasonal influenza vaccine) I wanted to address this.
It of course all depends. Even a small change in the formulation of a vaccine (or any biological drug product) can actually lead to a huge difference in the manufacturing process. Which can mean millions of dollars in facility modifications, or a new facility if you don't want to impact supply of the current formulation. Those modifications, or a new facility can take years to plan, built, validate, qualify, and start up, then FDA inspections approvals and time to get material out on the market. 10-12 years is not uncommon, and that is even for a new facility of current vaccine. And that is after the process is well characterized and has been already developed with all the steps that will be needed to manufacture, purify, formulate and fill the vaccine.
Also a change like what would be needed for pertussis would also require new clinical trials. Which adds time to the process as well.
The cost of manufacturing a vaccine isn't quite as small compared to the price as it is for other biologicals or small molecules. Vaccines are actually kind of like the "bonds" of the drug industry. A kind of safe steady investment. You don't really get blockbuster vaccines.