Vaccines for grandparents
Staying up to date on vaccine or immunization schedules is important for everyone, but it can be especially important if you’re a grandparent. If you spend lots of time with your grandchildren, you don’t want to pass on any dangerous diseases to these vulnerable members of your family.
Here are the top vaccines that you should consider getting before spending time with young ones, especially newborns.
Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
The Tdap vaccine protects you against three diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (or whooping cough).
You may have been vaccinated against pertussis as a child, but immunity fades over time. And your previous vaccinations for tetanus and diphtheria require a booster shot.
Why it’s important:
Tetanus and diphtheria are rare in the United States today, but vaccines are still needed to make sure they remain rare. Pertussis (whooping cough), on the other hand, is a highly contagious respiratory illness that continues to spread.
While people of any age can get whooping cough, infants are especially vulnerable. Babies typically receive their first dose of the whooping cough vaccine at 2 months, but aren’t fully vaccinated until around 6 months.
Half of all infants under 1 year of age that get whooping cough need to be hospitalized, so prevention is important.
Most people who get whooping cough catch it from someone at home, such as a parent, sibling, or grandparent. So, making sure you don’t get the disease is a key part of making sure your grandchildren don’t get it.
When to get it:
A single shot of Tdap is recommended in place of your next Td (tetanus, diphtheria) booster, which is given every 10 years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the Tdap shot is especially important for anyone who anticipates having close contact with an infant younger than 12 months of age.
How long before you see the kids:
The CDC recommends getting the shot at least two weeks before having contact with an infant.
Shingles vaccine
The shingles vaccine helps protect you from getting shingles, a painful rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.
Why it’s important:
Anyone who’s had chickenpox can get shingles, but the risk of shingles increases as you get older.
People with shingles can spread chickenpox. Chickenpox can be serious, especially for infants.
When to get it:
A two-dose shingles vaccine is currently recommended for adults over 50, whether or not they remember ever having chickenpox.
How long before you see the kids:
If you have shingles, you’re only contagious when you have a blister rash that hasn’t yet formed a crust. So unless you have a rash, you probably don’t need to wait to see your grand kids after you get your vaccine.
MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
This vaccine protects you against three diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella. While you may have received the MMR vaccine in the past, protection from it might fade over time.
Why it’s important:
Measles, mumps, and rubella are three highly contagious illnesses spread by coughing and sneezing.
Mumps and rubella are uncommon today in the United States, but this vaccine helps keep it that way. Measles outbreaks still occur in the United States and more commonly in other parts of the world. The CDC provides current case statistics.
Measles is a serious disease that can lead to pneumonia, brain damage, deafness, and even death, especially in infants and small children. Babies are typically vaccinated against measles at 12 months.
Infants are protected from measles when those around them are vaccinated against the disease.
