I wrote this on my Facebook yesterday, and I hope it can change your mind like it changed a few friends minds :

Just a friendly PSA for family and friends wanting to share in welcoming our girl in a couple months :: Please remember to update your DTaP vaccine & Flu vaccine. No, you CANNOT get the flu from getting the flu vaccine so don’t give me that! 😉

Whooping cough and the flu can be DEADLY for infants. Adults, teens, and young children can not show symptoms for WEEKS before coughing starts/diagnosis of whooping cough. Not to mention adults and teens have very mild symptoms compared to young children and babies so it is often self diagnosed as “something else”.

The duration of immunity from the vaccine for Tetanus and Diphtheria is very long (10-25 years!) HOWEVER - the duration of immunity for Pertussis (whooping cough) is only 4-6 years so just because you had the vaccine series as a child does not mean you are protected. In fact, you’re at risk yourself.

Also (blah blah blah I feel like we all should know this by now BUT) please do not kiss Vaeda’s face or hands AND USE THE HELL OUT OF THAT HAND SANITIZER AND SOAP. She will be tiny with no immune system and we carry around a lot more than we realize even as well immunized adults.

And if you have no intentions of vaccinating yourself, PLEASE, be upfront about it and stay away for a couple months while she gets vaccinated and builds her own immune system. It’s not worth my baby’s health or life.

Thanks, y’all! I know it was long winded 😉

Thoughts about whooping cough vaccine?