Should I require family to get vaccinated for whooping cough in order to have contact with baby?

Question

I want to protect my baby from whooping cough so my whole family will be vaccinated for it but my husband's family isn't into vaccinations for themselves. I didn't realize it would be such an issue and don't know if I should hold my ground on this or let it slide??? I personally feel uncomfortable with it. This isn't a vaccine debate so please don't treat it that way. It's more about what I personally feel comfortable with for our baby. Also my husband feels the same way as I do.

Answer

Yep. I'm sending out an email that says in no uncertain terms that if you refuse to get a booster, you may not visit the baby. I did it last time, too, and I'm glad I did!

Answer

Thank you for all the thoughtful responses. I know they would not lie about it. They will be around baby a lot. I will present them with all the relevant information I have (like how you can transmit whopping cough to infant without being symptomatic yourself) and go from there. They are good people and I really care for them but you are all right about keeping to my own principals. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.

Answer

Must have, whooping cough is very common and it's a must have vaccine.

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Yes! I've told all immediate family they HAVE to have the vaccination or no touching the baby. I've also made it known that the vaccination is important to us to our friends on social media, but I'm less insistent with them because friends will only be holding the baby here or there and many will wait until the baby can have their own vaccinations.. but for family it's a must have.

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I mean if that's what you want to do go for it.

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I went back and forth with this too. I think close family members that will be around a lot should definitely get it (mommy, daddy, any family that plans to stay with you after baby, etc), but for people just visiting, it's not really something you can enforce. Are you going to go with them when they get it? Require a doctor's note? Demand to see the bandaid and little poke on their arm? You kind of have to just take their word for it and believe them if they say yes, so what's the difference in them telling you they didn't get it, and lying and saying they did? Because ultimately, I feel like grandparents who really want to see the baby and don't think vaccinations are important are just going to blow off the matter and give you a simple, "yea I got that shot the other day," and there's not a whole lot you can do at that point. You can explain why it's important to you and your husband (since it's his family, he should take the lead), but apart from forbidding contact until they can prove they got it, there isn't much else that can be done. You have to decide if that's a battle you want to fight.

Answer

We did.

Answer

You're mom so you get to make the rules! I'm not requiring anyone to vaccinate. I don't want then around if they're sick, and they will wash hands before holding her, but I personally feel it's a ftm thing to have everybody get vaccinated. But again, you're mom. Your baby, your rules.

My mom said for her first, dropped pacifiers had to be sterilized, second baby they got wiped off on her shirt, and third baby she blew in it and it went right back in the mouth lol

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It's up to you, but my husband and I are requiring it. If you don't want to be vaccinated, you can wait 6 weeks to meet the babies. It's not the end of the world.

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My husband, my parents, and his mom got it during my and my sis in law's first pregnancy. His dad refused! Not that he comes around anyways.

This time around sis in law and I are not "requiring" it mainly bc they just had it 4 years ago-booster isn't required till 10 years.  Also, my mom can't get it bc she has been going through cancer treatments and the dr does not feel it would be good for her

Should I require family to get vaccinated for whooping cough in order to have contact with baby?

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