[WaitForIt]

This has been on my mind a lot, but has come to the forefront with the 'dear anti-vaxxer' thread.

My SIL doesn't vaccinate her kids as she is an anti-vaxxer. DH and I have a rocky relationship with her, anti-vax is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her beliefs. I'm really uncomfortable with the idea of her visiting soon after our baby is born, but as she lives interstate it hopefully wont be too soon after the birth.

Sooner or later though, her and her kids will want to meet the baby. At what age (or point in the vax schedule) would be ok to have them visit? How much does each shot protect? Should I wait until 6 months? That will be just in the nick of time before Christmas.

[soontobegran]

It is a deal breaker to me. No newborn is knowlingly exposed to a non vaccinated child and no handling by the parents of an unvaccinated child until the baby has their first vaccination.
Good luck with this.

[suzy-c]

I don't know, but you won't be able to keep un-vaccinated people away from your baby for long, as you will be taking them out in public. Unless you don't leave the house at all, and have no visitors in those 6 months you mentioned, you will come in contact with un-vaccinated people. That much isolation is almost impossible, given people will want to meet the baby.

My baby will be exposed to my un-vaccinated self every minute of the day. I can't help that, as I was hospitalised for months after my first vaccination as a baby. For their own safety, my baby will be immunised, just as my first son was. (He had no reaction to it at all.)

This post has been edited by suzy-c: 23/04/2012, 11:47 AM

[Alina0210]

I know alot of families and kids that dont vax... its such a non issue for me, usually non vaxers are more dilligent with keeping away if they are sick, have a runny nose or cold etc....

[soontobegran]

I know alot of families and kids that dont vax... its such a non issue for me, usually non vaxers are more dilligent with keeping away if they are sick, have a runny nose or cold etc....

Certainly not my experience I am afraid.

[tenar]

It would be a deal breaker for me until the baby has at least had their first round of vaccinations. Whooping cough is seriously scary for newborns.

It's a straw man to suggest that you can't eliminate the risk therefore you should ignore it. It's true that most of us can't entirely elminate the risk of contact with unvaccinated people, but we can dramatically reduce it by making sure that unvaccinated people don't handle our newborns. I took my 9 month old back from a woman who was holding (uninvited - grr!) yesterday who I know doesn't vaccinate her son. While at 9 months the risk of whooping cough being deadly is reduced, it certainly isn't eliminated, and its a risk I don't want to take.

OP I would stick to your guns about this. Maybe your SIL will realise that her choices are endangering other people, especially in the context of the current whooping cough outbreak.

Good luck with managing to do it without much stress.

[Mummy Em]

There was a threadwhere someone (I can't remember who) posted stats of the number of bubs that are immune to whooping cough after the first, second and third injections. I seem to remember that it was a little under half for the first one and around 80% (I think) by the third.

I don't know how long to keep them away, OP, I think it is a judgement call.

[soontobegran]

I don't know, but you won't be able to keep un-vaccinated people away from your baby for long, as you will be taking them out in public. Unless you don't leave the house at all, and have no visitors in those 6 months you mentioned, you will come in contact with un-vaccinated people. That much isolation is almost impossible, given people will want to meet the baby.

Protecting your baby from the unvaccinated in the time preceeding the first vax does not mean you have to keep them enclosed within the 4 walls of the house. I've never felt the need to do that.
I don't think a baby is at risk at the shops for instance if in a sling or a pram and nobody coughs on it or touches it's little face.
The OP is talking about a visit to her home which I am certain would involve handling by a non vaccinated family. That is different IMO.

[Xiola]

I was in a similar situation as you with a very close anit-vaxxing friend. I also needed to do the school run everyday so had DD around lots of people straightaway. I kept her in a wrap type sling so that she was close to me and all tucked up. It stopped people trying to put their hands on her and no one asked if they could hold her which was great. We had a whooping cough outbreak in our area around with DD was born so I was fairly paranoid about people touching her.

My anti-vaxxing friend stayed away for the first couple of months which was fantastic. She was really understanding but I understand that not everyone is.

Our Dr advised us that no unvaccinated person should hold DD until she'd had her third whooping couch vax which is around 6 months old.

[JustBeige]

Can you get some literature from your doc that basically says she cant touch until whatever time. Or shows the risk factors. That way she wont think you are singling her out, it will just be a blanket rule