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| Grandma, what a big whooping cough you have. |
Fast forward to this year. Baby G is due to be born in mid-October. A couple of weeks ago Son Brian sent me a text asking if Hubby Tony and I were up to date on our TDAP (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis, or whooping cough) shots. I told him we weren't, but it would be taken care of. Tonight I stopped by a Walgreen's clinic and did just that.
I hadn't realized that infants are particularly vulnerable to whooping cough, especially until they're fully vaccinated at around six months. Eighty percent of babies that get the disease catch it from someone at home. The CDC recommends getting the shot at least two weeks before having contact with the infant, so I could have put off this task for a while. I'm just so darn excited, though!
Thanks for this info Kathy. I am so happy for you and the family, very exciting news indeed.
ReplyDeleteYes, it may be YOU needing the information down the line.
DeleteYes, we do anything necessary for our grandchildren. You want to keep them healthy as well as yourself.
ReplyDeleteEven though the baby will be halfway across the country and we probably won't be visiting more than once before the immunizations kick in I'm glad to do it.
DeleteI didn't know OBGYN's were so proactive now. Good for the doctor, and your parents to be.
ReplyDeleteEvidently whooping cough cases are on the rise, so some proactivity can't hurt.
DeleteWhooping cough is very much on the rise in California. Lots of immigration of those who did not have shots as children. Then, too, lots of parents who are opposed to immunizing their children. Sometimes I think we are living in a third world country out here.
DeleteGood for you being responsible grandparents! Getting the vaccine is a small price to pay for the health and safety of the baby! Congratulations, I know you are counting down the weeks!
ReplyDeleteWe've already got our plane tickets for the first visit!
DeleteI just got a tetanus shot about two weeks ago after stepping on a rusty nail. I can't remember my last shot before then though. Congrats on the new grandbaby.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really hard to keep on top of medical dates and information. Sounds like I'm not the only one :-)
DeleteHere on the news last year I think was about a baby who got whooping cough from a relative. I think the baby in the story died, because of a fragile birth condition. I keep updated on mine just because I would not ever want to pass such a disease to a little baby, were we say in close proximity, in the store or somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteYou're more altruistic than I am. If not for the new baby nudge I would have continued on oblivious.
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