A concerned grandmother, a registered nurse, seeks medical advice on whether to get the pertussis (Tdap) and RSV vaccines, given her recent vaccination history and her understanding of the risks associated with these diseases in newborns.
Dear Dr. Roach: My daughter-in-law and son are expecting their first baby in late January. I am a 65-year-old healthy, fit woman. I walk daily and do yoga. Other than perhaps my age, I have no medical risk factors. She is requesting that I received the respiratory syncytial virus ( RSV ) vaccine. I do not see any reason that it is necessary. She feels RSV is more prevalent in her area than where I live. I have also received the Tdap vaccine when my other granddaughter was born six years ago.
I told my daughter-in-law that’s typically administered every 10 years, but she is also asking that I receive this vaccine again. I do feel like I have some knowledge on the subject, but can you please offer your medical expertise on this topic? C.P., R.N. I recognize your expertise as an infection control nurse, and I hope I can frame things in a way to help you. There are two infections your son and daughter-in-law are concerned about: pertussis (whooping cough) and RSV, both of which can be transmitted from adults to newborns. Both of these illnesses are potentially serious to newborns, who have very little protection as they have undeveloped immune systems. The decision for grandparents to get the vaccine isn’t completely straightforward, so some clinical judgment is in order. For pertussis, you are completely right that adults are recommended to have the Tdap vaccine every 10 years. You had the vaccine six years ago, but the vaccine’s efficacy does wane over time. My personal opinion is that the harm of vaccinating you before you are due is outweighed by the benefit of getting more-robust protection against pertussis. This is particularly important now, as whooping cough cases are five times higher this year than they were last year at this time. The harm from getting the vaccine before you are due is very smal
VACCINES RSV PERTUSSIS NEWBORNS INFECTIOUS DISEASES
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