Pertussis (whooping cough) can be fatal to infants. Whooping cough is prevalent in the United States. A whooping cough outbreak in Wenatchee, WA where I live killed 24 people, including six babies. Pertussis still leads to frequent outbreaks in the United States.

Dear Care and Feeding

"My husband and I are expecting our first child and couldn’t be more thrilled. We can’t wait to introduce our baby to both of our families. There’s one catch: My sister’s partner is a staunch anti-vaxxer, and she has convinced my sister to not keep up on her own vaccinations. I love my sister dearly and want both her and her partner to be a part of my baby’s life, but my husband and I don’t feel comfortable knowing that my sister’s partner is unvaccinated for polio, measles, and more.

"My family seems confused about this stance, and whenever I bring it up, they fall back on saying things like “Well, you can’t control everything!” I know I can’t, but I feel like there’s a large difference between mitigating risk and exposing my unvaccinated child to someone I know is unvaccinated."

REPLY-

"Pediatrician Daniel Summers believes the bottom line is that no one can tell you how much risk you must accept on their behalf.

“Your sister and her partner have decided not to accept the risks they falsely perceive with vaccination,” he said, “but in making that choice, they have decided to increase the risk that they themselves pose to vulnerable people, including newborn infants.”

"Summers noted that many vaccines protect against diseases for which the risk of exposure is likely to be low to nonexistent, unless there is a new outbreak in your area: “The risk of polio, for example, is essentially nil. Thankfully, the responsible behavior of enough people has made the likelihood of exposure to most vaccine-preventable illnesses very limited.”

"But, he added, “some vaccine-preventable illnesses do crop up from time to time, and hoping you learn about a local outbreak before the baby is accidentally exposed is a risk I would not personally accept.” He mentioned pertussis (whooping cough) in particular, which still leads to frequent outbreaks in the U.S. and can be fatal to newborns (facts you can certainly try sharing with your family members, though it may not change their minds).

“It is generally recommended that anyone likely to be in regular contact with a newborn baby should confirm that their protection against pertussis is up-to-date,” he said. “At the very least, your sister and her partner should provide confirmation that their vaccination against pertussis is current. If they cannot or will not do this, they are asking you to assume the risk of exposing your baby to a potentially deadly illness on their behalf.”

[slate.com]