Anti-whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women

[Borlotta]

Hi, this is the first time I post on this forum but I have been following it for a while. It is very useful. I am 28 weeks pregnant, I live in London and I am confronted with the decision whether to have the anti-whooping cough vaccination or not. The midwife proposed it to me weeks ago but she said there was no rush as it can be done until week 38. Yet, I cannot make up my mind. Here the reasons: it was introduced only two years ago in a kind of energy/experimental manner. The specific vaccine used had not been tried on pregnant women before and therefore we do not know the mid to long term effects. Some women also report they had stillborns after they took it. Of course they don't have the proof but it is ver scary. Furthermore, I have just learned the vaccine which has been used until now (Repevax) will be replaced in July 2014 by another one. They say it is the same composition but produced by a different company. I still wonder why are they changing it? Also, I do wonder if it is still wise to do the anti-wp vaccine now that the emergency seems over. The number of people getting wp has decreased dramatically since 2012 (which was the peak year). I am considering to have more information about the incidence of wc in my area, how many women take it and decline it etc. I wonder if anyone here can share their experience and thoughts? Thanks

Bumbleymummy - forget my "far out view of the world" it still goes without saying there's just not enough evidence to to prove it's safety and too little to raise concern - am I right?

Then made to feel bad if you choose not to put this into your body...

As bumbley says its one thing ingesting a small amount o aluminium its another injecting it....

Its not the antibodies in the vaccine that worry me personally, its the other stuff :-/

I am not an anti vaxx and will be including my child in the regular immunisation schedule. Its this vaccine during pregnancy that worries me, give n during a time of crucial growth and development.

I, in fact, work for a pharmaceutical company and study immunology every day. Messing with your immune system whilst pregnant is a no no in my opinion. Still i am torn with the very slight risk of WC contraction....

Thank you all for your opinions, it is good to debate and hear other peoples points of view

Dottie if someone has no WC antibodies (no immunisation and I've never been in contact with anyone with WC) what effect would a booster have? My midwife is pushing very hard for me to have a booster but im extremely unsure due to having nothing previously

Quite rightly, you need to have the primary dose first. This primary is usually a higher dose in order to kick start the immune system into producing antibodies. Boosters without the primary dose are not as effective....

Brill thank you.

Whatever route aluminium takes into the body, it is principally excreted in urine (ie via blood stream and kidneys).

The amounts ingested (or inhaled) daily, even if only a tiny percentage is actually absorbed, is still a far higher exposure than from jabs.

The Gates foundation supports water charities in the developing world

MustBeLoopy - you may very well have had contact with people with WC. In older children/adults it presents as a persistent cough and you don't tend to get the distinctive 'whoop'.

Scaevola - there are limited studies on injected aluminium.

MrsHazelby - I was surprised when I looked a bit further into it.

Bumbley not really known of anyone having a persistent cough apart from mil when she has pneumonia, so im pretty sure I haven't been in contact with it, hence why I said no contact.

Ok MustBeLoopy. You may very well have sat next to someone on a bus/in a waiting room etc. It is around so I think it's unlikely that you've never come into contact with it.

Interesting article:

www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/vaccines/vaccine-faqs