whooping cough vaccs... are you having it or have u had it?

[mamaLou13]

I really just don't know what to do. The vaccination in the UK has polio in it which the one in the US does not have. Also u are not meant to have polio during pregnancy. What are you going to do? Its such a hard decision . I want to do whats best fir my baby but just can not decide what that is...? Your thoughts / experiences please MNers.

[mamaLou13]

i think i will have a chat to the doctor but no it is the whooping cough jab that has polio. I think i will end up having it i am just worried about future complications for the baby which nobody will yet know about.

[StrawberriesTasteLikeLipsDo]

Had it at 28 weeks along with a flu jab

[Hippolyta20]

I'm not sure what to do either. I have had the flu one and been advised to have the whooping cought vaccine at my next appointment.

Didn't know about the polio issue - will be watching this thread with interest.

[terilou87]

i refused it simply on the basis that the one they are giving pregnant ladies in the uk has not been tested / or proven to work, and on the basis that babies are given a certain amount of w/c jabs because any more makes the future jabs less effective so surly by getting the jab the baby will be over immunised making future jabs less effective.
there was another thread on this a few weeks and one woman said in her comment her daughter had the vaccine and still got whooping cough which made my mind up that it was pointless. but that's my view
maybe do a bit of research on it first to see if it is something you want/ need

[terilou87]

few weeks ago* that meant to say

[Anothercerealnamechanger]

I will have it when its offered, I won't have the flu jab however

[nannyl]

im 9 weeks

i wont have it, and wont have flu jab either

[borninnotts]

Ive had both, would never forgive myself if i lost my baby to whooping cough whennweborn as they cant have their own vaccine til 8 weeks. But everyone has different opinions.

[GrandPoohBah]

I had it at about 32 weeks. I also had the flu jab. I'd had the whooping cough one already as a child, so it was topping it up, and I usually have the flu jab. No side effects from either AFAIK.

[rrreow]

What about if you've had the vaccine when you were a kid, do you still need to get it now?

[Tugstonia]

I'm not having it. Efficacy unproven and safety unknown.

[Equimum]

Although the whooping cough vaccination does contain polio, tetanus and diphtheria, they are inert forms so equally as harmless to babies in utero as anyone else. This is, according to the BBC (and my GP), the same vaccination that has been given to pregnant women in both the US and New Zealand. Apparently, no single whooping cough vaccine exists, all 7 varieties also vaccinating against other conditions.

I can understand why lots f people are worried, and clearly we did research the risks, but in the end I chose to have the vaccination. Any risks seemed smaller than that posed by my tiny baby potentially contracting WC. That said, as terrilou mentioned, DH was vaccinated as a baby and still caught it, so it's really a question of balancing risks.

[Emsyboo]

The vaccine is for the mother to raise her immunity not direct to the baby you then pass the immunity through placenta to give them some protection till they are old enough to have the vaccination at 8 weeks. If you have been immunised ideally you should be ok but they are saying it wears off a lot sooner than previously thought.
I am getting it because I am concerned of the newborn deaths this year and number of increased cases of whooping cough.
I didn't get the flu jab with my first baby but have this time because I have an increased risk (pregnancy induced asthma and toddler groups spreading germs)
If you have any concerns talk to your doctor or midwife - it really is up to you though so good luck making your decision it is so hard worrying about what is right and they are not born yet!! x x

[KMR281]

hi, I had whooping cough jab and flu jab the other week (at about 32 weeks). I decided that the risks of the jab were very small, and that as there is an outbreak here (and have been cases local to me) that I didn't want to risk newborn baby getting whooping cough. I think what really decided was (a) I am generally pro-vaccination, and (b) someone on mumnset pointed out that one of the well known side effects of whooping cough in babies was death. I felt that wasn't much of a choice really. Plus, I really don't think they would roll out a massive programme of vaccination if there was an issue with the vaccine itself.

[mommyPlant]

Hi, I didnt have the whooping cough vaccine or the flu jab, after doing research into it I didnt feel that there was enough evidence that it is working, or that it is safe. Also even though they are saying we are having a record number of cases this year if you search online there are articles (including ones by the NHS from 2008) saying that the levels were high in other years, since the start of routine vaccination.

I am also concerned about my baby getting whooping cough and fully aggree with vaccinations, but then my question was, many babies also get very ill and sadly die from things such as meningitis (for which I have read the vaccine we receive as adults is only effective for 15 years) so why are they not giving women all of their vaccines again when they are pregnant to protect babies when they are first born and only seem concerned with whoopping cough at the moment?

[stepawayfromtheminstrels]

I thought long and hard about whooping cough vaccine- i decided to have it when i found out a 6week old baby living near me was in intensive care and hospital for 4weeks with whooping cough. That is more frightening for me so had jag at 30 weeks.

[Nicknamegrief]

Had it. It is the one they give as the preschool booster so has all of that stuff in it. It is no longer a live vaccine (used to be a live polio vaccine when given as drops). Risk of harm from whooping cough is far greater in my opinion than risk of anything happening from vaccine.