Vaccines for Pregnant women

[mamabrownbear]

Hello, I'm looking for some advice. I've been offered 3 vaccines - the flu jab, Whooping cough and Meningitis jab. Now, I'm a bit reluctant to take anything unnecessary which might have side effects later on but has anyone else looked into this? Are they safe? Do we really need the flu jab? I think whooping cough is doing the rounds so this might be wise but I just don't know about the other two...thoughts?

[TimeForCake]

I've just had the whooping cough one as it seems to be making the news headlines and is a worry for tiny babies. I decided not to bother with the flu jab - partly because I am in the later stages of pregnancy now and partly because there hasn't been a flu epidemic flagged up at the moment. The nurse agreed and said she felt whooping cough was the priority.
I wasn't offered the meningitis one. Obviously it's all personal choice, but I think the vaccines aren't live and therefore safe to have during pregnancy. Always something to think about isn't there!

[noblegiraffe]

I had the flu jab, flu can be so dangerous for pregnant women and their babies. Last time I was heavily pregnant just as swine flu was kicking off and pregnant women were ending up in intensive care and losing their babies, it was so worrying. The flu jab covers swine flu and as I work in a school where bugs are flying around all the time it has relieved a lot of that worry. Not had the whooping cough jab yet as not pregnant enough but probably will. Haven't heard about a meningitis jab? I know the whooping cough jab contains other vaccines, including polio, is that part of it or something different?

[mamabrownbear]

Thanks, think I'll make an appointment for the whooping cough vaccine and then talk to the GP about the other two so I have better understanding. I agree, the whooping cough seems to be a priority...any more input gratefully received!

[mmmnoodlesoup]

We do not know if the whooping jab is safe as it hasn't been used in this country before and has only been used in the US a short while, according to a midwife at my hospital. I won't be having any vaccines during this pregnancy as I don't feel I'm at risk due to working from home

[BoysBoysBoysAndMe]

I had the flu and whooping cough jab about two weeks ago at 39 weeks.

If I was offered a meningitis one I'd have had that as well.

It's a very personal choice, but as a mother who has seen a child of mine very poorly, I would and will take any steps possible to help prevent a child of mine getting ill.

Any side affects, or long term issues, are in my opinion minimal. Vaccines are amazing, and although it doesn't mean me or my baby, or my children will be immune forever-they are a preventative measure against some very dangerous and harmful diseases and illnesses.

I wouldn't think twice about vaccines. But then, I've seen a child of mine incredibly poorly, and its heartbreaking to see.

[stowsettler]

I'm a GP Practice Manager and the whooping cough vaccine we are using is the one given to babies at their first imms. Obviously I'm no clinician but this suggests very strongly to me that it's perfectly safe - and in fact the risks from the actual whooping cough far outweigh those of the jab.

I've had the flu jab and will be having the whooping cough in 2 weeks when I'm 28 weeks - I'm around too many people who get terribly ill from both illnesses not to.

[whatdoithinknow]

i thought it was the booster jab given to 3 year olds they are giving to pregnant women? NOT the one given to 8 week old babies stowsetter?? I have no idea why is the polio live in the 3 year booster? Because it is in the 8 week jabs isn't it? I'm not sure what to do about it to be honest..

[whatdoithinknow]

Just looked it up and it is inactivated polio in early jabs so I'm not sure why they are using the other one?

[DoodleAlley]

I thought try had to give inactivated jabs to pg women.

I had flu jab but made sure it was the one suitable for pg women as some have too much mercury in them due to the preservative Theomersal (sp?!)

[DoodleAlley]

My plan generally is to have the whooping cough one too as there is a lot around us and DS might also bring it back from school.

I never had the jab so can't pass on immunity either.

Not been offered a meningitis one though.

[noblegiraffe]

The vaccine is Repevax which is the pre-school one and all the vaccines in it are inactive, says the Internet.

[DoodleAlley]

Just checked and as far as I can see its the vaccine little ones get under the age of one not the preschool boosters

[DoodleAlley]

Oh I must have got it wrong sorry will continue to research but clearly I'm unreliable!

[SecretCermonials]

I had flu jab and WC booster thing. Had a bitch of a sore arm. Was 3 weeks ago and have the begining of a cold but not feeling TOO rotten atm. Not sure what that says for the flu jab.

[Hai1988]

hey all how many weeks are you all?

As i am in very early stages only 4+2 weeks and gp advised me to make a app with the nurse for flu jab but am worried as its very early days if it is safe?

[emblosion]

Hai I had the flu jab last year with DS v early on, can't quite remember when but think around 6 weeks.

I'll definitely get it again this time & whooping cough vaccine if offered.

[Hai1988]

Thanks em

[ChookKeeper]

Like stowsettler I'm a Practice Manager and we're urging all of our pregnant patients to have the whooping cough jab. In fact I'll be phoning them all personally tomorrow to follow up on the letters we've sent out.

A 4 week old baby from a neighbouring practice died from whooping cough recently and no one from my Practice would forgive themselves if this happened to one of our patients and we hadn't done all we could to encourage mums to have the vaccination.

I'm speaking as someone who wouldn't even take a paracetamol when I was pregnant so if you're not sure please do speak with your GP or midwife.

[lurcherlover]

There is no mercury in any vaccine given in the UK.

A side effect of whooping cough is death. I would rather take the (unproven, theoretical) risk of a vaccine side effect to a known risk of a dangerous disease for my baby. I have already had my flu jab and will be having the whooping cough one as soon as I can.

[crunchingautumnleaves]

Lurcher, anything official you can link to re no mercury in UK vaccines?

[noblegiraffe]

The mumsnet Q&A said that there was one vaccine, fluvirin that contains minuscule amounts of mercury, but that most don't and your doctor would offer you one that didn't. They also pointed to 'robust scientific evidence' that mercury in vaccines doesn't harm recipients anyway.

Would link but can't get to it on my phone.

[DyeInTheEar]

Had my WC today. The nurse said there was no confirmed evidence to say it would protect a newborn from WC. Has anyone else been told this?

I'm guessing it's the best chance they have of getting anti bodies but wondered if anyone else knew for sure.

Also - does anyone know why they can't give the 8 weeks jabs earlier if that's the best protection for small babies against WC? They give TB jab at my hospital when the baby is born so I didn't understand why other vaccine couldn't be given at birth or later?

TIA

[noblegiraffe]

There is good evidence that the antibodies the mother produces will pass through the placenta, however I don't think any studies have been done which assesses what sort of protection these antibodies will give the baby. It will be expected to offer some level of protection. As a bonus the mother will be immunised and so less likely to get ill and infect the baby.
The HPA did consider giving newborns the vaccine instead but decided vaccinating pregnant woman was the better option. I'm not sure that a newborn could produce the antibodies effectively themselves.

[DyeInTheEar]

thank younoble

[newby2]

Hi what an interesting thread. I'm 34 weeks and had both vaccines at 32 weeks, no problems, side effects and after child birth a sore arm is nothing to worry about.

I'm a children's intensive care nurse and have looked after plenty of babies very poorly with whooping cough needing life saving treatment. We who have been vaccinated will pass anti-bodies onto our baby which may help protect them should they come across it before they develop their own anti-bodies/are immunised. So no skin off our nose as a mother and peace of mind when socialising with children who may be infected with whooping cough. In my mind it's a no brainer. Polio just happens to be in the same vaccine as it is with childhood vaccines.

Flu is a personal choice and covers some strains and not others. Again, you have a different perspective on life and illness when you treat the poorliest people so again a no-brainer for me. Pregnant women are immune-suppressed to a certain extent and women and their babies have died from different strains of flu. Women go through winter without catching it too.