Whooping cough jab

[karatekimmi]

Please be gentle with me, but I cant work out whether I am being a bit of a drama llama.

I'm not interested in whether you should or shouldn't have injections. It is a personal choice.

I declined a flu jab whilst pregnant, my midwife is aware of this

I am 30 weeks pregnant and I was told by my midwife that I should have my whooping cough jab. For no real logical reason I am happy to have a whooping cough jab, but not a flu jab.

I went to my doctors surgery where the nurse asked if I knew why I was having the whooping cough injection ( to increase my immunity to pass it on to my baby when its first born) and she injected me. Afterwards she said I was also covered for diphtheria, polio and tetnus. I didn't say much at the time, but I am a bit annoyed that they assumed consent for the jab, and the more I think about it, the more angry I get. I feel like I want to complain about this.

What do you think?

[karatekimmi]

So maybe I should have done more research before having the injection, It was just never mentioned about the other components until after it had been done. I stupidly assumed that if it was for something else, it would have been said.

[bumbleymummy]

Yeah, the WC vaccine comes as a combined vaccine with the others. She probably thought you'd read up on it but yes, she should have confirmed that you were aware of it.

I'm not sure why so many people think the polio vaccine is still oral - it's been part of the 5 in 1 for around 10 years now.

[Sidge]

It is not the same vaccine given to babies - it is the same vaccine we give to preschoolers.

She should have told you that there is no single whooping cough vaccine and that the injection also contains diphtheria, tetanus and polio.

We don't give oral polio routinely in the UK and haven't done so for more than ten years.

You may want to let the practice manager know so s/he can speak to the nurse. She should be ensuring she gives women all the information so they can give INFORMED consent. I never assume the midwife has given pregnant women enough or correct information.

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

My nurse talked me through the injection, including the fact that it was a 4 in 1 as there is no single vaccine available. I already knew this as I had researched it beforehand. Yes, the nurse should have given you the full facts but to be honest I'm always surprised at people who don't do their own (very basic) research before going for immunisations. I presume you refused the flu jab for a particular reason based on in depth research, so why didn't you research this one?

[Alisvolatpropiis]

The nurse who administered mine told me prior to doing so that it was a 4 in 1 jab because no single WC vaccine was currently licensed for pregnant women.

Would you have declined to have the jab if she had done it like that?

Personally it wouldn't have bothered me, I'm more of a "vaccinate me against everything" sort of person. Not just for me or even my baby, but because so many people rely on herd immunity to protect them if they have compromised immune systems and cannot have the vaccination themselves.

[takemetomars]

Most relevant stuff has already been said here. I am involved in giving these vaccines to pregnant ladies. I always gain informed consent which naturally involves informing the patient what is actually in the vaccine. I am disappointed that this did not happen with you OP and actually you do have grounds to complain about this. There are laws regarding informed consent and in theory you did not give informed consent in this instance.
It is a very safe vaccine and even if you did not 'need' the dip/tet/polio components, this will not have done you any harm.
This vaccine is essentially the same as the vaccine given to pre schoolers age 3 years 4 months +, it is not the same as the vaccine given to babies (correction for another poster, not the OP).
Whatever you decide to do about this, I do think that the nurse involved should be informed about how you feel as this, at the very least, will allow her to reflect on her practice and ensure that this does not happen to others. I think it is important to remember that this was for your baby and that you have made the right decision to have it to protect your baby in the first 8 weeks of life.
I do agree that people need to take more responsibility in these matters but in this case it really is the health professional's responsibility to ensure that any care given is explained thoroughly

[Straycatblue]

Arguments about immunisations aside, YANBU

You were not given Informed Consent about the injection you were given,
it is not the patients responsibility to research the treatment given to them.

Best practice should be that the patient is informed on each medicine they are given and the possible side effects so that they can give informed consent and proceed if desired.

[karatekimmi]

I doubt I would have declined it, tbh, and I do have reasons to not have the flu jab (as I said, not sure it is a logical thing) My DS has had all his jabs, and I have had all apart from the flu jab. I agree in principal with immunisation.

I was shocked and surprised afterwards that I could be immunised for something without it even being mentioned. The nurse did have a chat about the immunisation but it was only whooping cough that was mentioned.

The result probably would have been the same, If they had said it's a 4 in 1 jab, I would have probably just have had it, I was just surprised that's all. Next time I will do far more research!!

[Alisvolatpropiis]

I do think it's a bit off she didn't mention it, purely because it takes about 30 seconds to do so!

[karatekimmi]

Thank you takemetomars and straycats

It's always nice when someone puts your viewpoint down better than you do!!

[LittlePeasMummy1]

Here are patient leaflets that summarise all of the available scientific info on vaccination in pregnancy against whooping cough and flu.

www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/Boostrix-IPV/

www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/Flu-vaccine/

[Tapasfairy]

I think that sometimes they just assume you will consent.
I declined a flu spray for my four year old. Nurse was very angry and attempted to lecture me on how he would kill off the less immune. I politely told her to pee off.
Don't worry you would have had it anyway.

[IsItStupid]

Did she not give you any pamphlets? Or mention anything to do with it being 4-in-1 until afterwards?

In that case YANBU. I am pro-vaccine and always quite pleased to get multiple vaccinations in one, but this is about informed consent. A nurse should not assume all patients have done all research.

YWNBU to mention it to the clinic.

But don't worry, it is a very safe vaccine. You and the baby won't have been harmed by the extra components.

[karatekimmi]

I've just reread the whooping cough leaflet I was given and it doesn't mention 4 in 1 jab anywhere - although it does link to the nhs website where it mentions the 4 in 1.

In the pregnancy book it just says that it will get a leaflet in the middle part of the pregnancy.

[OhEmGeee]

It's the same vaccine given to babies, there is no single whooping cough jab.

[eyebags63]

Actually I don't think YABU here. If you thought you were getting treatment A but you were actually given treatment B then that isn't informed consent is it?

Whether the jab comes as 4 in 1 only or vaccinations are a good thing or not is irrelevant; things should have been explained properly to you.

[karatekimmi]

I think that's the point - it was how it made me feel. I assume I had it with my DS and would have probably had it anyway, I'm not too worried about effects on me or the baby, its just it felt underhand.

leaflet

[Soduthen116]

But what's the issue? Perhaps she should have spelled it out but you know they are only human and this isn't a drug error.

My dd caught whooping cough from me and her siblings at 2 weeks old. It was terrifying and she's number 4 so not a pfb.

Good luck with the pregnancy op.

Blessings to count aye when you look around the world to see the suffering of mums and babies so unlucky to have not been born in the west.

[Soduthen116]

Op sorry wasn't meaning to sound dismissive by the way just sure she wasn't meaning to be underhand but assumed you were aware.

[Straycatblue]

Soduthen116
But what's the issue? Perhaps she should have spelled it out but you know they are only human and this isn't a drug error.

The issue is she consented for the nurse to inject her with one drug and afterwards the nurse told her she had actually been injected with four.

NMC guidelines state that patients are entitled to informed consent. It is a drug error. She was not told she was being given 3 of the 4 vaccines that the nurse gave her till after they were already injected. The op did not have an opportunity to hear the risks (doesnt matter if they are low or not) and make her own decision about her own body and developing child.

[eyebags63]

But what's the issue? Perhaps she should have spelled it out but you know they are only human and this isn't a drug error.

But it is a drug error if she hasn't obtained informed consent before giving it. Just because the risks are low/none and no harm was done doesn't make it OK.

[Bair]

I'm due my whooping cough jab on Tues. Will be interested to see if it's mentioned that it's a 4 in 1 as it hasn't been mentioned to me even though my midwife has mentioned having the jab for whooping cough on more than one occasion.

I am 100% pro vac. However I'm also 100% informed consent which I think is a huge issue with pregnant women and their pre natal care and care in childbirth, so I can see how someone who would have accepted the jab regardless like OP would still be miffed to be given information after the event.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

My midwife didn't mention it being a multiple drug jab at any point, just the nurse who administered it. I suppose there's an assumption on the midwife's part that the nurse will cover that part?

[MishMooshAndMogwai]

I had my WC jab a couple of months back and didn't know there were other components til I read this thread!

I didn't have the flu jab either but that was more time/forgetfulness rather than refusal. I only had WC because I had croup for 6 weeks over xmas that just would not go so my immune system was shot to shit anyway and I was starting a new placement with kids.

Id have agreed to the extras anyway but I agree with you that it would have been nice to have been told!

[Penfold007]

There is no whooping cough only vaccine. Since 2014 Boostrix IPV is the vaccination offered and its a 4 in 1 vaccination, so includes diphtheria, polio and tetanus. I'm sorry you weren't correctly informed before agreeing to the injection.