# Appropriate to ask people to get vaccinated before spending lots of time with a newborn? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 12, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491 "2010-11-12T22:35:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/41 "2010-11-16T03:26:28Z")
I had whooping cough 4 years ago and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, let alone an infant. It’s seriously debilitating for an adult, I can’t imagine how a baby would fare with that. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/42 "2010-11-16T03:50:44Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I had whooping cough 4 years ago and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, let alone an infant. It’s seriously debilitating for an adult, I can’t imagine how a baby would fare with that. Some horrible sounds of the disease on the right hand of the web page [here.](http://www.whoopingcough.net/symptoms.htm) ☹ A friend told me her husband broke two ribs from the coughing after he had it a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/43 "2010-11-16T03:54:45Z")
Would someone who had childhood immunizations be “acceptable”, and would they need the paperwork to prove it? I had the stupidest hard time trying to convince some company nurse in the US that I didn’t have an immunization card because I hadn’t thought of asking for one before leaving Spain, because here the assumption is that people are immunized. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/44 "2010-11-16T04:21:42Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Last winter I happened to hear a discussion regarding this on the radio. The doctor mentioned that one of the difficulties with a whooping cough epidemic is that it is largely spread by adults who don’t know they have it because it presents differently in adults. Not in Sweden, apparently. [http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AB00Q20101112](http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AB00Q20101112) > [@](#): > > [Sweden] halted its whooping cough vaccination program in 1979 because of vaccine safety concerns, and did not resume routine vaccination for 17 years. But health authorities continued to track cases of whooping cough by age group. > > “We took advantage of an unplanned natural experiment,” Rohani said in a telephone interview. > > \ > > The team found that when Sweden resumed vaccinating young children, there was a big drop in the number of cases of whooping cough in all age categories except in teenagers. > > With the patterns of social mixing, children mostly interact with other children, and are unlikely to be infected by adults, they found. Yes, it’s just one study. No, I’m not married and I have no children. Yes, if close friends insisted, I’d get the vaccination before close contact with their kid. But considering the precautions that are _de rigeur_ today, doesn’t anyone wonder how I and today’s parents ever made it past childhood without them? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/45 "2010-11-16T04:39:58Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Would someone who had childhood immunizations be “acceptable”, and would they need the paperwork to prove it? I had the stupidest hard time trying to convince some company nurse in the US that I didn’t have an immunization card because I hadn’t thought of asking for one before leaving Spain, because here the assumption is that people are immunized. No - if people are actually concerned, childhood vaccinations for whooping cough are woefully inadequate. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/46 "2010-11-16T04:42:46Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > But considering the precautions that are _de rigeur_ today, doesn’t anyone wonder how I and today’s parents ever made it past childhood without them? The people who didn’t make it out of childhood without them didn’t survive to be parents or post about their experiences on message boards. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/47 "2010-11-16T04:56:11Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > Not in Sweden, apparently. [http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AB00Q20101112Yes](http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AB00Q20101112Yes), it’s just one study. No, I’m not married and I have no children. Yes, if close friends insisted, I’d get the vaccination before close contact with their kid. But considering the precautions that are _de rigeur_ today, doesn’t anyone wonder how I and today’s parents ever made it past childhood without them? They often didn’t make it past childhood. Infant mortality rates were enormous until the advent of vaccination. Kids who survived often suffered lasting effects such as deafness, reduced mental reasoning, decreased fertility and vision impairment. Even recent vaccines such as Hib have helped reduce disease and mortality rates: > [@](#): > > [Hib Vaccine and Immunization Information](http://www.immunizationinfo.org/vaccines/haemophilus-influenzae-type-b-hib) > > Prior to universal Hib immunization, Hib was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in infants and preschool-age children, and caused approximately 20,000 cases of invasive disease annually. Twenty thousand kids with invasive bacterial meningitis is a lot of kids each year. Children who are not vaccinated are [23 times](http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151443.php/) more likely to get whooping cough. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/48 "2010-11-16T12:27:31Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > No - if people are actually concerned, childhood vaccinations for whooping cough are woefully inadequate. Correct, since I got it as an adult. My MD said that protection from childhood vaccinations for Whooping cough doesn’t last past high school. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/49 "2010-11-16T14:17:19Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > You need to find out what the occurrence of pertussis in your area is, and judge from there. > > In any case, I wouldn’t approach it as an order (vaccine or no baby!) but rather start a conversation about how your doctor made this recommendation, and you looked online and found out that immunity only lasts about ten years, how about that! adults need the vaccine too!, and then you looked up the rates in your area and there’s really been a resurgence, and it’s SO SCARY how hard pertussis is on little babies… > > Basically, try to work them around to volunteering to get vaccinated. Sounds like this might not work with some of them. > > Having said that, the baby will eventually undergo her own round of vaccinations, independent of any darn fool family members. Ngh. That kind of passive, manipulative approach would piss me right off, and I’d want nothing to do with you OR your baby. Don’t weasel, be direct. mischievous had the right of it. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/50 "2010-11-16T14:33:04Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Correct, since I got it as an adult. My MD said that protection from childhood vaccinations for Whooping cough doesn’t last past high school. Wow. Ignorance fought. I had no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/51 "2010-11-16T14:47:54Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Ngh. That kind of passive, manipulative approach would piss me right off, and I’d want nothing to do with you OR your baby. GOOD. Glad we’ve come to an understanding. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/52 "2010-11-16T15:37:11Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > GOOD. Glad we’ve come to an understanding. Yes. Manipulating people because you are afraid of confrontation is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/53 "2010-11-16T15:54:55Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Ngh. That kind of passive, manipulative approach would piss me right off, and I’d want nothing to do with you OR your baby. Don’t weasel, be direct. mischievous had the right of it. Well it’s not about you. It’s about the grandparents and if it works it is painless and achieves what the parent’s want. So the purpose of your whining is..? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/54 "2010-11-16T16:06:35Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Well it’s not about you. It’s about the grandparents and if it works it is painless and achieves what the parent’s want. So the purpose of your whining is..? I thought it was about the health of an immune-compromised newborn and if Grandparents precious feelings are so much more important than that, I question that they are fit to interact with the baby at all. Luckily it did not come to that in this case. However I see no problem whatsoever in saying get your shot or GTFO. ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/55 "2010-11-16T16:07:21Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Frankly, because of my job which puts me a) in contact with the part of the public most likely to have a gross disease, and b) in contact with the same part of the public which might be most vulnerable I’ve been thinking of getting the vaccine without even having a child around. It’s not advertized at my local drug store like the flu vaccine is (I don’t live in a part of the country that’s having a resurgence) - do you reckon they have it, or do I have to call my doctor? If doctors and/or insurance or limiting for you, try your local health department. Every county in the U.S. has one, and they’re frequently more than happy to give vaccines at low or no cost. Get your hepatitis A and B vaccines while you’re there. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/56 "2010-11-16T16:12:29Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Frankly, because of my job which puts me a) in contact with the part of the public most likely to have a gross disease, and b) in contact with the same part of the public which might be most vulnerable I’ve been thinking of getting the vaccine without even having a child around. It’s not advertized at my local drug store like the flu vaccine is (I don’t live in a part of the country that’s having a resurgence) - do you reckon they have it, or do I have to call my doctor? I took a look on the CVS Minute Clinic Web site, and according to [this page](http://www.minuteclinic.com/services/vaccination/?stateId=sc) they do have DTaP at their stores in SC (I assume the list is for SC because first I searched for SC locations, then I looked for services…and SC is a query in the link). [Here’s a link to SC clinic locations](http://www.minuteclinic.com/SC/clinics.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/57 "2010-11-16T16:12:42Z")
Hmmm. I’m thinking I might take my own advice. I’m a healthy adult with no contact with children, but even a minor respiratory infection makes me cough until I vomit. I can’t imagine what whooping cough would be like. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/58 "2010-11-16T20:30:28Z")
MinuteClinic is great, but be SURE to call you insurance to see if they’ll cover the cost there or at another clinic. For instance, I can get vaccinations at Walgreens Take Care Clinic for free, but MinuteClinic I have to fill out a flu shot reimbursement form and jump through hoops. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/59 "2010-11-17T02:40:18Z")
My two-year old has an underlying condition that would make whooping cough extra dangerous for him. When he was a baby, we asked nicely that my sister and my mother (both of whom spend a lot of time at the house and with the kids) please get TDaP and flu shots. We offered to pay, but they were both able to get them at a low cost, and were happy to do so. They continue to get flu shots every year and report back to me that they have done so - without being asked. We’ve got a newborn again. No one has mentioned whooping cough specifically to me. This might be because it’s not such a big hairy deal for an otherwise healthy newborn in our geographic area, or because they all know we got them two years ago. Not sure. Without the underlying health problem, I probably wouldn’t have been as vocal about the vaccinations for adults, but I also wouldn’t look funny at anyone who felt it was best for their baby. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491/60 "2010-11-17T16:40:56Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Well it’s not about you. It’s about the grandparents and if it works it is painless and achieves what the parent’s want. So the purpose of your whining is..? Who’s whining? If you want someone to do something, ask them to do it. DON’T whinge and wheedle and imply and intimate. People who can’t come out and actually say what they want are infuriating, and should be ignored until they grow a spine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-to-ask-people-to-get-vaccinated-before-spending-lots-of-time-with-a-newborn/560491.md?page=4)