Pertussis vaccine still isn't available separately?

[Judegirl]

Is anyone current enough on this to know whether this is even in the works? (Rachels?)

It's bizarre - it seems that we can get DT, T, and DTaP, but not just aP at this point...or TaP, for that matter, which is what I'd choose. I can't find any promising information, though.

If anyone has head anything in a vaccine-cautious circles, please let me know. (Or send me to the circles; I can't find them!)

Thanks,
Jude

[Rachels]

Jude, I don't know the answer to this, but somebody at MDC will. There's a vaccination forum. A LOT of people don't vax, and a lot of people selectively vax, and there's a ton of info there.

Here's a link to the vax forum:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=47

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/character/2/character39.gif

"We have a secret in our culture...it's not that birth is painful, it's that women are strong!!" - Laura Stavoe Harm

[starrynight]

Rachel beat me to the suggestion of MDC there is soooo much info there!!

But AFAIK, no pertussis only is in the works. The reason they give Td and Dt separately from the P is because the P is the one most likely to give reactions and problems so they give people who are allergic to the P portion still a chance to get a tetanus or diptheria shot if they so choose. I'm thinking there isn't much profit or reasoning to make the P separate so they don't bother. My 2 year old had problems with the DTaP among other ones.

They just started marketing on adult booster and possibly changing the recs to give 2 week old babies a pertussis shot because since that shot isn't very effective at all and wears off within a few years adults and older kids are carrying it and passing it around. It's milder in adults and older kids but in infants under 2 months it's a bit dangerous. I don't see how starting earlier will really help since you need at least 3 doses to be considered 'immune' and by then the baby is out of the danger zone. But anyway...that's all I have heard on the pertussis shot, if I find out anything about a P only shot I will pass along the info.