What is Tdap and why is it important for pregnant women?
There are some diseases that a baby may develop inside the womb. And, babies do not have a natural immune system yet. So for the protection against these, the doctors recommendtaking some vaccinations during pregnancy. And one of the common vaccination is tdap.
What is Tdap?
Tdap is a group of vaccination that is taken for immunization from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis. This booster shot protects the baby from tetanus, lockjaw, and most importantly whooping cough. Whooping cough is a fit of cough that is prevalent among people of all ages, but people who are at high risk are babies less than 6 months old.
This booster shot passes the antibodies from the mother to the baby and protects them from developing these diseases. Tdap is given at the third trimester when the baby’s lines are fully developed.
What is whooping cough?
Whooping cough is an extreme fit of cough that makes it hard to breathe. If you get whooping cough you’ll cough constantly which may lead to seizure, brain damage, and in some cases death. There are high chances of getting whooping cough if you are not vaccinated. Doctors recommend getting the vaccine after every 10 years.
Death related to whooping cough is rare. This is life-threatening to newborn babies who cannot get vaccinated yet and in people of old age. But deaths mostly occur in infants. That is why doctors recommend pregnant women get these vaccines.
Symptoms of whooping cough
Whooping cough takes time for the symptoms to show. At first, you can mistake them for a common cold. After getting infected with it, it takes 7 to 10 days for symptoms to show. They are mild at first and these include:
Symptoms start to get worse after a week or two. Severe and prolonged coughing fits starts to happen. Other than that the symptoms are:
But infants' symptoms are different than adult’s. In fact, babies may not cough at all. When they have whooping cough they have trouble breathing or they may stop breathing temporarily.
Causes of Whooping Cough
Whooping cough is also known as Pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that causes extreme fits of cough. It is caused by a bacteria called Bordetella Pertussis. The bacteria goes in through the nose and mouth and attaches itself to the hair linings of the lungs. This bacteria flames and swells the lungs. This leads to a dry prolonged cough.
If you get whooping cough it may last from 3 to 6 weeks. The likely way to prevent the cough is to get vaccinated.
Why should pregnant women get the Tdap vaccine?
Tdap vaccine in pregnant women protects the baby from developing whooping cough. Babies do not have a natural resistance against this disease and they can’t get a vaccine till they are 2 months old. So doctors recommend pregnant women get the vaccine. This vaccine produces high levels of antibodies in the mother which she passes on to her baby. These antibodies provide short-term protection to the newborn baby till they can get a dose of the vaccine on their own.
The doctors recommend getting the vaccine in the third trimester between the 27th and the 36th week. This is mainly around the due date because the vaccine takes two weeks to develop the antibodies. So when the baby is born they willhave the immunity to fight against
whooping cough.
The immunity you get from whooping cough decreases over time so if a woman gets pregnant again they need to get the vaccine again. This means with each pregnancy tdap vaccine is administered. Getting this vaccine reduces the chances of babies getting whooping cough by 78 per cent.
If you do not get the vaccine at the end of your pregnancy period then you can also get the vaccine after the birth of the baby. As they can catch the disease from spending a lot oftime with someone, and usually it is the mother. So when you get the vaccine you have the immunity to whooping cough and they are fewer chances of your baby contracting the disease. In addition, the antibodies can be passed through breastfeeding too.
The benefits and risks of the Tdap vaccine.
Whooping cough is caused by a bacteria known as BordetellaPertussis. This vaccine has inactivated bacteria. Which prevents you from lockjaw or whooping cough. Vaccine activates the immune system to identify foreign elements in the body and develops the antibodies to fight them.
Like any other vaccines tdap also have side effects. But these side effects are not so severe that they pose a threat to their life. They are mild and side effects may include:
Are vaccinations safe during pregnancy?
Some vaccinations should be avoided during pregnancy as per your doctor's advice. But tdap is not on that list. This vaccine does not have a live virus in it and generally, vaccines with the killed virus can be given during pregnancy. So the tdap vaccine is recommended by the doctor to get it during your each and every pregnancy.
Tdap is safe for both women and babies. You and your baby will be protected from developing whooping cough. It does not develop any pregnancy complications. Tdap should be administered in every pregnancy of the women, even if your pregnancy is two to three years apart.
When should the tdap vaccine be administered during pregnancy?
Tdap vaccine should be taken at the end of the pregnancy period. It is recommended to take the vaccine in the third trimester between the 27th and the 36th week. However, it can be given at any time during the pregnancy. It is recommended in the third trimester so the baby can receive a large number of antibodies.
It should be given every time a woman gets pregnant. But you should vaccinate your baby after two months with tdap, even if you have received it during your pregnancy.
What other disease does the tdap vaccine prevent?
The tdap vaccine does not only prevents whooping cough but also prevents from developing tetanus and diphtheria.
A single dose of tdap protects people and especially babies from all three diseases tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis( whooping cough). Among these three whooping cough is still quite common as the antibodies starts to wear off after few years. So make sure you get these vaccines when you are pregnant.
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References: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/pregnant/mom/get-vaccinated.html#:~:text=A%20Tdap%20vaccine%20is%20very,your%20risk%20for%20pregnancy%20complications.
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/is-the-tdap-vaccine-safe-for-pregnant-women
• Fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Nasal Blockage
• Watery eyes
• Vomiting
• Extreme fatigue
• Constant coughing causes the face to turn red
• Your cough ends with a high-pitched whoop.
• Fatigue
• Body aches
• Fever
• Swelling or tenderness of the injected area.
• Tetanus: This is a bacterial infection which is also known as lockjaw. It may happen due to a deep cut or puncture on the skin. Tetanus causes the connection of the muscles of the face and neck making it hard to breathe or open their mouth. After the vaccine, it is very rare for people to have tetanus.
• Diphtheria: It also makes breathing hard. Diphtheria forms a thick coating on the back of the throat which makes it hard for people to breathe. Infants are at higher risk of getting diphtheria as they can start their vaccines when they are two months old.