What you need to know about the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy before you get your hands dirty

You may have heard about getting the Tdap vaccine late in your pregnancy, and you may have questions about it. Don’t worry – we have the answers.

Here’s what you need to know about how the Tdap vaccine can protect you and your baby during pregnancy, when to get it, and what to expect.

What is the Tdap vaccine?

The Tdap vaccine protects against three major diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). The shot was designed to protect adults and young people from all three diseases, especially tuberculosis – an infectious disease that can infect babies and young children, and who are at risk of contracting it.

By getting the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy, you can protect your baby from pertussis in infancy, before he or she is old enough to receive the pertussis vaccine.

Although the vaccine protects against all three diseases, pertussis is the most common in infants.

“Tetanus is not contagious, and diphtheria is basically eradicated,” explains Chandani DeZure, MD, pediatrician; Infants and Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, California; and a member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. “Pertussis is not only contagious and common, but it kills newborns.”

Another vaccine, called DTaP, also protects against pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus. It is for children under 7 years of age, while Tdap is for older children and adults. DTaP provides protection, while Tdap – which contains a lower dose of the vaccine – increases protection.

Whooping cough in adults can lead to months of coughing, broken ribs from severe coughing, pneumonia, and other complications. Even if you were vaccinated against the disease as a child, your immune system weakens over time.

For babies, whooping cough can be dangerous. Infants have the highest risk of pertussis, and most deaths from pertussis occur in children under three months of age, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.It will open a new window (AAP).

How does Tdap vaccination protect my child?

If you receive the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy, your baby will receive antibodies from you through the placenta. After giving birth, they will receive antibodies through breast milk if you are breastfeeding.

This will protect your child as an infant, who is still too young to receive the whooping cough vaccine.

A review of over 57,000 cases of pertussisIt will open a new window More than 20 years have shown that the number of pertussis in newborns has decreased significantly since the vaccine was first given to pregnant women in 2011.

Another study found that shooting a gun during pregnancy reduces the risk of asthma in children under two months of age by 78%. Babies whose mothers received the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy have a much lower chance of getting sick with whooping cough. The same study shows that vaccination during pregnancy reduces the risk of hospitalization of children from whooping cough by 97%.

Despite its benefits, only 60 percent of women receive the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy.

Want more information about health and wellness during pregnancy and what vaccines are recommended for you? Find articles and advice from experts and tips from other parents in the BabyCenter appIt will open a new window.

Who should receive the Tdap vaccine?

Professionals including the AAP and the American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsIt will open a new window (ACOG) recommends Tdap vaccination for:

• Babies and children. The five types of DTaP include one dose at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, and 4 to 6 years.
• Pregnant women. It is recommended that women receive Tdap during pregnancy, preferably between 27 and 36 weeks, regardless of when they received the shot. If you get the vaccine early in that window, it may encourage the transfer of antibodies to your baby.
• Children aged 11 to 18 who have completed the DTaP vaccination series. The best time to shoot is 11 to 12 years.
• Adults 19 years and older. If you haven’t had a DTaP shot before, it’s important to get it, especially if you want to be around babies.

If you have had a tetanus shot in the past few years, you may have been given the Tdap vaccine. But tetanus boosters are also available as a “Td” shot, without the rash or the chest area. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions.

“If you are not sure if you have current vaccinations, including the pertussis vaccine, you should ask your general practitioner,” says Dr. DeZure. “But all young people, adults, caregivers, relatives, or visitors should receive the pertussis vaccine at least two weeks before meeting the newborn, a concept called cocooning.” (More on this below.)

Is the Tdap vaccine safe during pregnancy?

Yes, the Tdap vaccine is very safe during pregnancy. ACOG, the AAP, the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and the American Academy of Family Physicians all recommend that pregnant women receive the vaccine.

Since Tdap was introduced, studies have found no evidence that pregnant women who get the vaccine have more complications than others, nor their babies.

MotherToBaby, a non-profit organization that provides evidence on medications and other conditions during pregnancy or breastfeeding, reports that the Tdap vaccine does not increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, or other pregnancy-related complications.

And because you have inactive parts of the bacteria (not live bacteria), the vaccine won’t give you whooping cough.

The worst side effects are:

• Pain
• Redness
• Swelling at the injection site

Side effects are very rare, but anyone who has had a severe reaction to a tetanus, diphtheria, or pertussis vaccine should not get sick again.

What else can I do to protect my child from measles?

In addition to getting vaccinated during pregnancy and your baby, you can make sure everyone in your household is vaccinated, as well as anyone who may come in contact with your baby (eg grandparents).

Children can catch the disease – which is now on the rise – from family members and other close people who may not know they have the virus. According to MotherToBaby, the chance of contracting pertussis in a household with an infected person is 80% if you have not been vaccinated.

Although Tdap boosters are recommended every 10 years for adults, the effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine portion may decrease over several years.

So your baby’s close family and caregivers may want to get a Tdap booster if their last shot was more than that. Remember that anyone who is going to have a baby should receive this vaccine at least two weeks in advance so that the antibodies start to develop.

“I personally also ask that everyone who interacts with my child before receiving the vaccine know about Tdap,” says BabyCenter Community member CaitlinP112.

Parents of the BabyCenter Community Youcaihua have the same wisdom, especially since the flu can be very dangerous for babies: “Everyone who wants to see the baby in the first few months is getting vaccinated.

Finally, keep your child away from anyone who has a cough or other illness. And everyone should wash their hands before touching or touching your child.