To remind everyone to make sure they are vaccinated against Whooping Cough is medically able to

[mitogoshi]

There's an increasing outbreak including the death of a child too young to have been vaccinated. It's particularly prevalent in Bristol, Nottingham and Cardiff currently but it isn't much lower in other cities. I had a booster a month ago when I went for travel vaccines, my gp if offering it to everyone not vaccinated in the past 10 years as a precaution. I personally know half a dozen cases since Christmas and it's a town not a city.

For the young, elderly and immunocompromised this can be deadly and it's not very nice for everyone else, with a 3 week suggested isolation period, plus weeks of disrupted sleep.

Protect those unable to be vaccinated or those too young to have had the 3 doses.

Do you know how long it has been in the tetanus vaccines? Not that I have had a tetanus in about 30 odd years, but was it in it in the 70's? I have a feeling it was Diptheria and Tetanus with the polio sugarlump back then.

My partner is just recovering from having it for 2 months. Even after a dose of antibiotics it has still been going for another 3 weeks. Definitely get vaccinated if you can, bloody dreadful.

I had a tetanus vaccine about 8 years ago after cutting myself on an old piece of metal in the soil, so hopefully I’m still covered.

How often do you need a tetanus? I had one maybe 10 years ago, but could be longer, after I stepped on a rusty nail that went through my trainer and 2 inches into my foot, that was fun!

Had whooping cough in pregnancy I believe. No idea about measles but will check with my gp.

Generally tetanus is only given again after an event, I.e dog bite or standing on a nail. It’s not something people will be called up for.

How often do you need a tetanus?

I believe that once you’ve had five jabs you’re covered for life, however you should still have boosters every 10 years if you’re exposed to dirt a lot (e.g. you work outside) regardless of the number of boosters you’ve had.

I live in London and it’s rife here. I had the vaccine during pregnancy and my 9 week old baby had the jab last week.
I have had anxiety about him catching it for weeks. It’s such an awful bloody illness.

I had it as a kid, now in my 50s does that give you any protection? If not I’ll be hassling my GP, I never, ever want it again.

I agree. I had it just before Covid and was ill for over 3 months. It's bad enough for adults, but potentially fatal for infants. Either way it is truly horrible.

PS. It can leave your lungs damaged, which made Covid even more fun.

So are children protected up until about age 10 or is it included in the vaccines they get at 3/5? Sorry I can’t even remember when they last had some!

No. I had the vaccine as a child, caught it as an adult and had the vaccine again some years later in pregnancy.

If you mean covered for whooping cough - not if you had the REVAXIS vaccine as that only has polio diphtheria and tetanus. This is the one that would be given if you just needed a tetanus booster but you would of course be covered for tetanus.

Everyone is saying to get vaccinated but the NHS will only offer it to pregnant women and babies!!

I am a midwife and got the booster recently through work. I am not sure if it's just because I work with very young babies, or if all NHS staff can get it.

You can get it via Travel clinics if you will be travelling to the US or Oz and will be in contact with a newborn whilst there. Costs about £70.

I had my whooping cough vaccine (dtp - diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) recently at Kamsons pharmacies. I had to pay £70. I was concerned about getting it from my child and passing on to elderly parents.

I've just had mine (dtp) because I'm pregnant. Had it previously during pregnancy but when we moved countries (from the UK to EU), this wasn't recorded in my vaccination record. I had another in between at my GP. I think he just looked through my vaccination record and figured that I needed a tetanus booster. I think I paid about 20€ for it.
I wasn't allowed to have the whooping cough vaccination as a baby and my mum was horrified when I told her that I'd had it during my previous pregnancy. Apparently, I wasn't ever meant to have the vaccination. Not had any side effects with any of them, though.

I have broken ribs, twice, from coughing. If there was a way to get vaccinated, I would. But there isn't unless pregnant or under 5, and I'm unlikely to be either of those anytime soon

They should not have given it to you if you're not pregnant! It's useless in adults

I don't live in the UK anymore. My vaccinations were brought up to date after we moved because I work with small children.
It's very much recommended here to update every 10 years. Since I am currently pregnant, the recommendation to get a booster is also being extended to my husband and the baby's grandparents and siblings and anyone, who might be in close contact with her once she's born.

Ask through work? I’m nhs…we all got offered a vaccine back in February?

Ive never had a jab in my life.

Whooping cough vaccine was the antivaxxer's target pre-MMR, so lots of people didn't have despite it being available for many decades. Children died as a result.

Get you 🙄

We've all had Whooping cough and I just told a friend today her and her son have it. It's been awful. Worst cough ever. It has made me vomit, wee myself and faint. I'm about 8 weeks in now and feel pretty well in myself but when the cough starts up again it's really unpleasant.

I've found some people have never heard of it, even some HCPs don't know anything, especially how contagious it is! I had to be taken in an ambulance and they used no PPI. Many people are confused about the 'whoop' - it is just the sound you make in-between the rapid cough - it's a gasp for air. Many/most people don't make a, distinctive 'whoop' sound.