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[Skel1ingt0n]

So one of my best friend's had his first kid in January - that's AWESOME. Super happy for him and his wife. They live out of state, and so I haven't had a chance to meet the little guy, yet.

My wife and I spoke with them last week, and the two of us just booked a flight to go visit in April.

Last night, though, I got a text asking us both to get our "flu shots and a TDP(?) shot." I'm 28 y/o and have NEVER gotten the former, and I don't even know what the latter is. I dunno why, but this kinda... bugged me, I guess? I'm not some crazy anti-vaxxer by any means - when I have kids I'll give them all their shots, and when I'm sick or go to the doctor if my doc says you need this or that immunization, I get it. But in 28 years, I have never been pointedly asked to go get a shot - not with other kids, either.

So, to me, it seems really unnecessary. That said, I'll admit, I don't keep up on anything in regard to newborn kids, so if this is totally normal, I'm open to learning that today. But Googling doesn't seem to bring up any definitive comments on the matter.

FWIW, to the best of my knowledge, the kid is healthy and was born without issue.

Regardless of comments, of COURSE I'll respect the request and will do it - I plan to call my doc this week.

 

[Wads]

TDAP. They don't want the baby getting the flu or whooping cough. Reasonable to me.

 

[otapnam]

TDAP. They don't want the baby getting the flu or whooping cough. Reasonable to me.

Don't accidentally kill your friends kid cuz you're ignorant and lazy

 

[Pastry]

It's a pretty young baby, I don't see anything wrong with them being cautious. Their house, their rules.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I've never had someone ask me to do this, but I would accept their wishes. It's their kids.

Better that they're being cautious than anti-vaxxer loons.

 

[Zabka]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5CbP7_hvgM

 

[Angelus Errare]

TDAP. They don't want the baby getting the flu or whooping cough. Reasonable to me.

Yup.

 

[Mr.Shrugglesツ]

So they're worried about the kid getting sick and want you to take your shots, but they're gonna put him in a flying germbox.

GG

e:whoops lol my bad

 

[smokeandmirrors]

My sister is a nurse. She made me get a flu shot before I could see my nephew.

 

[McDougles]

Fucking parents preventing their kids from getting sick.

I'm surprised you don't already have TDAP.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Makes sense, good on the parents.

 

[H.Protagonist]

Yes, it's normal. We asked the same thing of any visitors coming to see our baby when she was really young. There have been so many outbreaks of stuff that could kill a baby thanks to anti-vaxxers, that you just don't want to risk it. It's a little shot. Don't give them a hard time about it. Might seem overcautious, but when you just had a baby you take no chances.

 

[Button]

They are crazy and being over-protective. The best thing you can do is not take the shots, go there anyway, and cough on the kid. Then they will learn.

 

[ant_]

A completely reasonable request, albeit annoying

 

[djplaeskool]

You really should have already had TDAP boosters
In any case, it's a reasonable precaution for such a young child.

 

[MakeshiftChef]

So they're worried about the kid getting sick and want you to take your shots, but they're gonna put him in a flying germbox.

GG

Reading comprehension much?

 

[v0yce]

So they're worried about the kid getting sick and want you to take your shots, but they're gonna put him in a flying germbox.

GG

You might want to reread the OP

 

[WedgeX]

Being around kids and elders comes with getting regularly vaccinated so that they aren't accidentally exposed to viruses either they aren't vaccinated against yet or are more susceptible to given their age. Working with kids and the elderly previously, had to keep all my vaccinations up to date. I might only need a sick day but those populations immune systems aren't as good as mine.

Here's the CDC's information on the DTP vaccine that your friend is likely referring to:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/dtap.html

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

They are crazy and being over-protective. The best thing you can do is not take the shots, go there anyway, and cough on the kid. Then they will learn.

Don't have children.

 

[notsol337]

So they're worried about the kid getting sick and want you to take your shots, but they're gonna put him in a flying germbox.

GG

It looks like the OP is getting in the germbox, not the baby.

 

[Already Torn]

It's not common but it should be

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Coo-cool, guys.

I appreciate the input. Like I said in the OP, I'm new to this and would get the shots, regardless. They asked, I'm not gonna disrespect that.

It just struck me as odd and overprotective. But there's not a rule against being overprotective - and at the end of the day, it sounds like most people do this, so I'm clearly the odd-man out.

Thanks!

 

[Amalthea]

Newborns have a very weak immune system.

 

[Fireblend]

Yeah this a pretty reasonable request OP. I'd say go get your shots.

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

So one of my best friend's had his first kid in January - that's AWESOME. Super happy for him and his wife. They live out of state, and so I haven't had a chance to meet the little guy, yet.

My wife and I spoke with them last week, and the two of us just booked a flight to go visit in April.

Last night, though, I got a text asking us both to get our "flu shots and a TDP(?) shot." I'm 28 y/o and have NEVER gotten the former, and I don't even know what the latter is. I dunno why, but this kinda... bugged me, I guess? I'm not some crazy anti-vaxxer by any means - when I have kids I'll give them all their shots, and when I'm sick or go to the doctor if my doc says you need this or that immunization, I get it. But in 28 years, I have never been pointedly asked to go get a shot - not with other kids, either.

So, to me, it seems really unnecessary. That said, I'll admit, I don't keep up on anything in regard to newborn kids, so if this is totally normal, I'm open to learning that today. But Googling doesn't seem to bring up any definitive comments on the matter.

FWIW, to the best of my knowledge, the kid is healthy and was born without issue.

Regardless of comments, of COURSE I'll respect the request and will do it - I plan to call my doc this week.

Young kids can die from pertussis, even if healthy. Most adults haven't had a pertussis booster, and just have a bit of a cold when they get it so are pretty oblivious to spreading it. Your friends are just being protective - I'm not sure about the situation with their child, but maybe he had a rough go initially that they haven't told you that warrants their anxiety?

 

[demon]

My friend asked the same of me a year ago when she had her kid. Makes sense.

 

[siddx]

Babies turn normally rational people into crazy fucks. It's very very very unlikely that you not having those shots would get the baby sick. But fuck it, if that's what they want and you are ok with it.

 

[Llyranor]

You're supposed to get the tetanus shots (which includes whooping cough) every 10 years anyway.

And kids under 6 months CAN'T get the flu shot anyway, which is why you minimize the risk around them. Kids die of the flu every year.

 

[Lurch666]

I've never heard of this before.
If the baby is being breast fed then it should be getting all the antibodies from it's mother (who I presume has had those shots).
plus aren't vaccines small doses of the illness so your body can fight it off and produce antibodies-might this not increase the risk to the baby.

Plus when the baby goes outside will they not let anyone else near.

I know parents worry about their child (I have two myself) but this seems overkill to me.

 

[Kevinroc]

There are too many people who don't vaccinate these days. Can't blame the parents for trying to be cautious.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Babies turn normally rational people into crazy fucks.

There is nothing crazy about their request.

I've never heard of this before.
If the baby is being breast fed then it should be getting all the antibodies from it's mother (who I presume has had those shots).
plus aren't vaccines small doses of the illness so your body can fight it off and produce antibodies-might this not increase the risk to the baby.

Plus when the baby goes outside will they not let anyone else near.

I know parents worry about their child (I have two myself) but this seems overkill to me.

 

[jon bones]

I've had this requested of me before I saw a family newborn.

 

[NervousXtian]

Never had someone ask me to do that.. but I've had both recently... my doc keeps me up on the TDAP when it's needed.. and I got the flu shot the last few years since I made my kids get 'em and solidarity and all.

..but I never made anyone get shots to see my kids when they were born... but that would depend fully on where this was happening.. the flu this year has been pretty bad in places.. so it'd make sense.

 

[frankie_baby]

Massive over reaction from them, if you give in and get them shots then it'll just lead to them being neurotic parents

 

[Waylon Drums]

I mean, it's their kid so it's their call. I wouldn't go see the kid after that kind of demand, but have at it if you want to see the thing that badly.

 

[turnbuckle]

TDAP. They don't want the baby getting the flu or whooping cough. Reasonable to me.

Absolutely.

I mean, it's their kid so it's their call. I wouldn't go see the kid after that kind of demand, but have at it if you want to see the thing that badly.

I don't think it's absurd for a person to keep up on their TDAP shots regardless.
Anyone that's not an anti-vaxxer would realize the request is normal.
It wouldn't be necessary if people would get the shots normally, but so many don't.

 

[McDougles]

If the baby is being breast fed then it should be getting all the antibodies from it's mother (who I presume has had those shots).
plus aren't vaccines small doses of the illness so your body can fight it off and produce antibodies-might this not increase the risk to the baby.

Plus when the baby goes outside will they not let anyone else near.

I know parents worry about their child (I have two myself) but this seems overkill to me.

Jesus christ, anti-vax defense force out with all the alternative facts today.

 

[Earthbound64]

TDAP. They don't want the baby getting the flu or whooping cough. Reasonable to me.

Don't accidentally kill your friends kid cuz you're ignorant and lazy

It's a pretty young baby, I don't see anything wrong with them being cautious. Their house, their rules.

These.

When I was working in a preschool, there were a bunch of shots I needed to get that I wouldn't have needed to get otherwise as part of the school's requirements.
I would imagine it's even higher around infants.

 

[siddx]

There is nothing crazy about their request.

Yes there is. But you seem to be a parent, so I'm not gonna argue with an already crazy person.

 

[electricshake]

TDP is tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

 

[Epcott]

Never had anyone request this to me, but sounds reasonable. Although I hear some people develop short term symptoms after taking the shots, so take then at least two weeks before you visit the wee babe.

 

[HazySaiyan]

I've never personally heard this before, but you can't blame them for being cautious, especially with the amount of people who are anti-vax.

 

[airjoca]

That's not normal over here (Portugal).

You should take precautions like not visiting if you're sick, wash your hands properly before touching the baby, avoid touching them or kissing them in the face and hands.

Unless the baby is already sick or has some predisposition to get sick, your friends are exaggerating.

 

[Earthbound64]

If the baby is being breast fed then it should be getting all the antibodies from it's mother (who I presume has had those shots).
plus aren't vaccines small doses of the illness so your body can fight it off and produce antibodies-might this not increase the risk to the baby.

There are too many people who don't vaccinate these days. Can't blame the parents for trying to be cautious.

What an ironic set of back-to-back posts.
(To be clear, I side with the 2nd of them)

Yes there is. But you seem to be a parent, so I'm not gonna argue with an already crazy person.

There is nothing crazy about their request.
I am not a parent.
Checkmate?

 

[jon bones]

Jesus christ, anti-vax defense force out with all the alternative facts today.

seriously - its a shame how ignorance is literally putting kids at risk out there

 

[Face it Tiger..]

recommend the Chicken Pox vax too if you already don't have it.

 

[Lurch666]

Jesus christ, anti-vax defense force out with all the alternative facts today.

I'm not anti vax.I did not mean you should not get your child vaccinated.I was just saying that a breast fed child should be find against this sort of stuff.At no pint did I say the child does not need vaccinations.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Yes, it's normal. We asked the same thing of any visitors coming to see our baby when she was really young. There have been so many outbreaks of stuff that could kill a baby thanks to anti-vaxxers, that you just don't want to risk it. It's a little shot. Don't give them a hard time about it. Might seem overcautious, but when you just had a baby you take no chances.

Yeah, this basically. It's perhaps a little over-cautious, but they're being protective and you need to respect their decision OP.

So they're worried about the kid getting sick and want you to take your shots, but they're gonna put him in a flying germbox.

GG

You've got it back to front - OP and his wife are going in a plane to see his friend.

 

[SlimySnake]

Just wash your hands when you enter the house and if you even have a slight cough/runny nose, dont go see the baby.

Other than that, no that's just stupid. The Flu shots dont prevent you from getting the flu. I got it when we had our son and it did jack shit. i didnt make anyone in my family get it. but they knew when they were sick they couldnt come see the baby.

I swear, people are going fucking nuts. we all survived without forcing every relative to get flu shots. ffs.

You've got it back to front - OP and his wife are going in a plane to see his friend.

Edit: i guess if you are flying then think about it or simply skip the trip altogether. Just wait till he's 1 to go see him. My mother in law flew 8 hours and spent the next month with the kid. they are being overcautious but if i were you i would cancel the trip.

 

[Zabka]

That's not normal over here (Portugal).

You should take precautions like not visiting if you're sick, wash your hands properly before touching the baby, avoid touching them or kissing them in the face and hands.

Unless the baby is already sick or has some predisposition to get sick, your friends are exaggerating.

Every baby has a predisposition to getting sick because their immune systems are still developing. Until its safe for the child to get vaccinations the best defense is for everyone who handles it to be vaccinated.