My sister's son and his wife just had their first child. Today my sister received a message from her son telling her that she and her husband may not come and visit with the baby until the get the TDAP vaccine. Most of us have had this set of shots when we were younger but now many new parents are insisting anyone who visits their new baby has to have an update of these shots and wait two weeks before they can some and be near the newborn. What do you think about this? My sister is upset and I don't blame her. When my youngest daughter had her first child she asked me to get an update on this vaccine and I told her I wasn't going to do that because I have to many allergy problems from shots, etc. and that if she wanted my help she was just going to have to accept me just the way I was. She did and everything was just fine. Now days it seems everything is changing so much and the government, etc. is getting "vaccine crazy" and to many people are not doing any research, etc. but just going along with anything that is said.
If there was an epidemic going on of the diseases this vaccine helps prevent then I think getting an update on this vaccine would make more sense....but just to make everyone else get it again because the baby like every other baby in the past and now has to wait for these vaccines until they are a few months old...just is crazy! So now if my sister and her husband don't get it they won't beable to see their new grandchild in person until she is six months old and has had all her vaccines.
Seriously....I mean um...no offense but that is just dumbness of new parents. I would be more concerned for zeka..or other mosoquito like bites....besides most babies have their immune system intact for several weeks. I could see maybe..a measles or mumps shot..if on the rise like in some areas.
These new parents have been through 4 miscarriages, an etopic pregnancy where she ended up not only losing the baby but one of her fallopian tubes also. Then fertility treatments to finally have this healthy baby girl which may be the only child they will ever have. I understand their "obsessive" feelings about trying to keep this baby "safe" no matter what they have to do or how crazy it may seem to others. They aren't able to realize right now things that later on they will be able to see with much more clarity. Right now they just need to know they are doing everything they can to keep their baby safe. They cannot "see" right now that they could pick up these disease germs at work, while shopping, anytime they are out and about...and they can't make the whole world get vaccinated. My sister and her husband will have to make their decision for themselves but I know while we may not agree with the way these new parents are thinking in some areas....we all do want this their new baby girl to stay healthy and safe.
I agree with @Gloria Mitchell about most babies immune systems especially if the mother is breastfeeding. I do understand how disappointing it is for the grandparents and also the protectiveness of the parents after all they have been through but I don't agree with the ultimatum they made. It would even be hard to respect their wishes anything could happen, God forbid in that timeframe then how would they feel about keeping the grandparents away.
My sister sent her son an email telling him that at their age they were really concerned about getting these shots and last night her son sent an email back to her telling them not to worry about getting them. Her son also said he thought maybe my sister and her husband had already gotten that vaccine again when the two older granddaughters were born to his brother and his wife...but since they hadn't got the vaccine then...it was alright if they didn't get them now. They just don't want them to come and visit the baby if they are coughing or sick now. I know it sounds really cruel for my sister's son to say these things and tell them they need to get the vaccine....but I want y'all to understand that this is coming from their Pediatrician. As first time parents they know nothing about taking care of their own child and think the professional "experts" know it all! It doesn't matter that my sister raised four baby boys of her own, unless we have a degree now days....we don't know anything about babies, etc. I'm glad my daughters for the most part respected my wisdom where babies are concerned...but even they "bought into" some of the new fangled ideas "professionals" are telling them now days. For the most part alot of these new ideas end up costing the parents money for new things they really don't need in the first place.
I've not come across this....my oldest niece just happened to have her baby when I was visiting my sister in NJ and we all went to the hospital and visited her and the newborn, nobody was asked about any shots. This was 3 years ago. My sister in Colorado who is going to be a grandma for the first time didn't mention getting a shot either. If I was asked to get one (never was) I'd get one ...I don't have problems with vaccines.
They maybe hearing this from friends,hospital staff or their pediatrician. I remember my son mentioning it 1x when they were expecting my grandson,I just gave him "the look" and it was never mentioned again,I saw him the day after his birth and continuously since with no health problems for him