Vaccine Impact

Should Women be Given the Tdap Vaccine During Pregnancy?

July 9, 2018 2:06 pm

Vaccination concept. Male doctor vaccinating young pregnant woman

A great debate is raging about whether we should have mandatory vaccination to prevent childhood illnesses. Mandatory vaccination would do away with a religious, ethical, or scientific disapproval of a vaccine. A study from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine reported that the Tdap vaccination during pregnancy reduced the occurrence of infantile pertussis. This study is a perfect example of why we need informed consent on the safety and efficacy of vaccines and why we should not have government mandates about vaccines. The researchers looked at infants admitted to the hospital with pertussis and compared two groups of pregnant women: one group who received the Tdap and the other group that did not. This study showed that the Tdap vaccine is 0.02% effective at preventing hospitalization from pertussis. In other words, the vaccine will not benefit 99.98% who take it. The Tdap vaccine contains a known neurotoxin (aluminum) and carcinogen (formadehyde). There are ZERO safety studies shown that it is safe to inject either substance into a human much less a pregnant human. When I was trained, I was taught to be very careful when prescribing any therapy for a pregnant woman. I was always taught to err on the side of caution. I think that was sage advice. Tdap for pregnant women? Give women the appropriate information and let them decide.