Another TDAP question

pennstated912

Last night, we tried to talk to ILs about getting TDAP. We are asking the grandparents to get it because all 4 of them will be spending a considerable amount of time with the baby every week. His parents basically scoffed at us, saying that we are being overprotective and that they never got the shots years back when they were having babies and everyone survived, so why should they now? My FIL cited that he got the MMR when he was in college so he should be good (he graduated from college in 1983 - I'm going with no). My parents already have made their appts to go get it in the next 3 weeks or so.

So I guess my question is, for those who has relatives get the TDAP vaccine, did you struggle with getting them to get it? If so, how did you handle it and what was the result?

I thought there was a thread about this somewhere but I can't find it. If there was, just point me in the direction and I'll be on my merry way

PinkinProvence

Unfortunately you cannot force them. I am not even asking inlaws. There are going to be a ton of our large immediate family around the babies ALL the time, but I have to be reasonable in who I ask. So basically just the primary caregivers not just frequent visitors.

I would have given my sil the major sideye if she would have required me to get shots when my niece was born even though i saw her for extended periods of time at least once a week.

BackseatDriver

My ILs would not get it and I was very angry about it. As a result I severely limited their contact with him as a NB because there was an outbreak of pertussis and MIL in particular is in a high risk group. Maybe that was extreme, but I felt it was justified and I don't regret it at all.

Your family's logic doesn't really make any sense. What does MMR have anything to do with it? Has he really never had a tetanus shot? Did they get polio vaccines or did they skip them because at some point in history people didn't get them?  Sorry you have to deal with this. Very frustrating.

BackseatDriver

My ILs would not get it and I was very angry about it. As a result I severely limited their contact with him as a NB because there was an outbreak of pertussis and MIL in particular is in a high risk group. Maybe that was extreme, but I felt it was justified and I don't regret it at all.

Your family's logic doesn't really make any sense. What does MMR have anything to do with it? Has he really never had a tetanus shot? Did they get polio vaccines or did they skip them because at some point in history people didn't get them?  Sorry you have to deal with this. Very frustrating.

pennstated912

BackseatDriver said:

Your family's logic doesn't really make any sense. What does MMR have anything to do with it? Has he really never had a tetanus shot? Did they get polio vaccines or did they skip them because at some point in history people didn't get them?  Sorry you have to deal with this. Very frustrating.

I know. I even said that to him. Apparently, doesn't matter. I would usually not be so up in arms about it but we see his parents and grandparents 4-5 times a week for hours at a time right now. Their interaction with our LO is going to be extremely limited if this continues. They are hospital employees so the shot is free and takes all of about 30 seconds out of their day.

They apparently also are trying to convince DH not to get it because way back in the day, he got a tetanus shot and had an adverse reaction. However, he's had them since then and has been fine. They have no idea what caused the reaction.

Whippet8

My parents and brother got it no problem. We didn't even ask DH's family because there is no way in hell they would ever do it. 

AshleyMatt1215

We aren't even asking, everyone is an hour away and won't be visiting all that frequently and won't be providing childcare.

fallbrideoct05

We aren't asking people to get it either.

vitan

luckily for us, my bil/sil had their daughter a few months before us and insisted that everyone have their shots. Everyone is used to their asinine requests so it wasn't off the wall to hear them request and insist on the shots. had it been up to us, we probably would have mentioned it but not pushed for it. However, if it's something you feel strongly about, make your stand. It's your baby and you'll be putting your foot down a lot so start early.

wiggyslilsis

We lived with my parents when we had Ava Nichol so everyone in the household got one or had already had one recently enough.

Other than that we didn't ask anyone. We kind of limited contact with people until DD could get her 2 month shots.

I wish that vaccines for adults were more common.

pennstated912

wiggyslilsis said:

I wish that vaccines for adults were more common.

Me too. With the way they reacted, you would've thought that we asked them to wear HAZMAT suits around the baby because we were afraid he'd catch cooties.

pistolpackinmomma

I told everyone that if they didn't have it then they wouldn't see the baby until he could get his own. Whooping cough is scary shit, especially for a newborn. I don't think FIL ever got it which irritates me but even a lot of my aunts and uncles got it as well as both of my grandmas. It was just very important to me and I made it clear how important it was.

Meinschatz11

I asked all to get it and explained the seriousness of an infant getting pertussis. And then I told them that if they had an issue with getting the vaccine to google youtube videos of babies with pertussis and watch them. There are plenty and they are awful. I work in a children's hospital and we had several babies that ended up on ECMO and then had strokes because they were exposed to unvaccinated adults. It was not a risk I was willing to take, especially since E was born in December. They all complied.