Whooping cough jab

[blonderthanred]

Anyone got any views on this?

I just read on the BBC website that due to the recent cases, pg women are all to be offered a whooping cough jab between 28-38 weeks, to take place at a routine antenatal appt.

I'm 34+3 so I guess they may offer it next week when I go in - it doesn't say whether there will be any notification or info sent, or if I will just be told/offered it on the day. What do people think about this issue, it seems a sudden decision which makes me nervous but I guess there will have been a longer thought process. Plenty of people have the flu jab when pg although I believe that only offers the mother protection, not the baby (?) so I don't know if there are any risks or even if it crosses the placenta.

I was born in '76 when there was a scare about the baby wh cough jab (recently proven false) so I didn't have it and then caught wh cough. I don't know if that will make any difference.

[Sidge]

whatsonyourplate that would make sense as Repevax is the preschool booster - the babies get Pediacel and pregnant women don't really need the Hib that's in Pediacel.

I left work at 1800 and we hadn't received any emails or notifications

We are only allocated vaccine supplies based on our baby/child populations so no 'spare' vaccine for pregnant women, so I can't just give it to women booking in asking for it. Whether the community midwives will be receiving supplies to give I don't know, but most community midwives work in many locations so have nowhere to store and transport the vaccines.

[CandyPop]

Sorry couple of questions that I can't find answer to and don't want to wait to Monday for the answer

• so do we believe in what the dept health is saying and that it's harmless to unborn babies ?
  

• also if unborn baby can get immunised via placenta and there is no danger to it, then why do babies have to wait two months after they r born before they can have vaccination directly?
  

[Brycie]

Candy, I don't know the answer to your second quesetion, the answer to your first is, it's up to people what to beilieve of course, but no studies have been done in this field. You can read what the manufacturer says about Repevax ; which is that it's not recommended for pregnant women and the effects on the foetus have not been assessed. Beyond that, no one knows, it's educated assumptions, for example. In France this is not used as a "vaccine for pregnant women", it's apparently used as a routine adult booster (we're told) same as in Germany, the govt says this means it will have been given inadvertently to pregnant women, and that there've been no ill effects. Its not proved one way or the other, it's up to you what to believe, and to look at the people who are saying it's safe (for exampel the committee that approves all these things etc) and make your decision. It hasn't been tested for safety or effectiveness, however, it's widely assumed by all the experts to be very safe for pregnant women and also the government says that al lthe ingredients have been used in other medicines for pregnant women and have a long safety history.

[Brycie]

There is a genuine belief out there among all the experts that the whooping cough outbreak is so serious that they are over-riding a recommendation for this not to be given to pregnant women. It makes you realise how serious the outbreak must be.

[AlisonDB]

I live over in The Netherlands, so we are not being offered it (yet) im 28wks but we will have lots of Family visiting us from the UK, once baby is born,
Im now looking at making an appointment with my GP to ask if i can pay for this vaccine privatly, as i cant stand the thought of my baby getting WC. (probably going to demand it actually)
countries like France, Germany & USA already vaccine routinly against this so i dont think there is a negative risk with the vaccine.
Like a lot of you, im a '70's baby, and my mum refused to have me imunised, i ended up with WC as a toddler and was very very ill with it,

[FluffyJawsOfDoom]

candy it's not the vaccine that crosses the placenta, it's the antibodies the pregnant woman makes in response to it - that's why you need to have it before 38w.

[LoopyLa]

I phoned up my GP after seeing the news (I'm 36 wks tomorrow) & also asked about flu jab. Interestingly, they had whooping available but not the flu jab as it won't be in for a few weeks I thought it was supposed to be available from Sept?

What really annoys me is that no-one has suggested I have the flu jab & when talking to the GP, he said that my MW should administer it. When I asked her, she said a GP should be able to administer it.

If the so-called health professionals don't know what they're doing between them, how the hell are pregnant women without any medical training supposed to have a clue?!

Basically if no-one has mentioned it, then I'd ask. You won't get anything otherwise.

[cordiality]

I think that the thing, as with all vaccination decisions, is no one can say 100% that the vaccine is safe for unborn babies, but they believe the situation is serious enough that it's worth the possible risk.

What we do know is that NOT having the vaccine is sadly not safe, we have the proof of many very ill babies.

I for one will be banging on my GP's door first thing monday morning. We are being offered an opportunity to possibly protect our newborns against a horrible and potentially fatal epidemic. Other mums haven't been so lucky. Not such a hard decision really...

[blonderthanred]

Thank you for the fact sheet Whatson, that's really helpful.

[Clarella]

I may be a little naive here but most coughs / colds we have caught will be generating antibodies which can be passed on to baby in utero? I know there's different antibodies, IgM and IgG, one first response, one a longer term immunity as we are immune to rubella through infection or jab (and this is where my understanding runs out) so in some ways is it not safer to have the jab while baby is in utero (the jab is for us) for us to pass on confirmed recent immunity? The issue is that babies usually get the jab at 2 months, and its prob not great to give it to a newborn - so this was the best option?

(Prays someone with more than hazy rudimentary 1995 a level biology comes along quick to help out here....)

[MoonHare]

I emailed my MP yesterday to complain about the miscommunication between Dept. of Health/Media/front line health services and received a letter from my MP's office in the post this morning - I was not expecting that!

So if this issue is affecting you and you feel angry/disappointed/concerned that a national public announcement has been made by the Government without front line health services first being advised and offered guidance on how to implement a program of imunisation for pregnant women - then please contact your MP.

BTW the response I received at this stage is that my MP has written to the CX of our local NHS services and written to Anna Soubry who is the under secretary of state for health to ask for answers to the concerns I raised.

[ShellyBobbs]

I've just emailed my MP, will see what he has to say.

[DebussyHead]

Anyone had any luck with GP's/ midiwives knowing what the hell is going on today? I assume they will have seen news at least since Friday so the enquiries wont be a surprise. I am planning on ringing my GP this afternoon hoping they have information from the PCT by then and a plan so I know when and where I can expect to get the vaccine from.

[MammaMia73]

Yes, I will ask my midwife too about it, in week 23 so will see her soon.
Are you taking the seasonal flu jab? Is the swine flu jab included in that one? I have been a little bit "scared" of the swine flu vaccine so dont really want to take it unless i have to...

[ValiumQueen]

I have been told today that the vaccine will not be available in Scotland until 15th Oct. I am fuming as that will be too late for me. Why is it different in Scotland?

[FluffyJawsOfDoom]

mama this year's flu jab includes swine and avian flu vaccines. You can google it and see it on the nhs website :)

[steben]

Well I have spoken to practice nurse and midwives and no one knows what is happening or can provide a straight answer - am waiting for a call from the gp but it won't be until late this aft. Fuming as if I don't have it this week I can't have it.

[DebussyHead]

I'm in Scotland too VQ that is unbelievable!!! I will be 37 weeks on 15th OCt so could still just squeeze it in but still its ridiculous how this has been handled.

I'll call my GP and let you know what they say to me.
I think I will get the flu vaccinatation. I declined it with my DD1 as it was the swine flu one and felt it wasnt tested properly but its been used for a while now and really dont want flu with a new born.

[DonnaDoon]

Ive just been to GP and they still have received NOTHING in the form of an email or notification or jabs ...thats right NOTHING. Emailing local MP now.

[DonnaDoon]

URRRGHHHH Just spoke to my local MPs private secretary and she was really snotty and basically asked what I wanted my local MP to do about it as he doesnt usually deal with things like this...Im fuming...anyway Ive told them that I will attend a workshop of his on Friday.

[ValiumQueen]

Spoke to a public health advisor in Scotland. Hoping to roll out from 14th or 15th Oct. Unsure what the plan is for England. There is a lot of organising that has to be done before it can be rolled out, which is understandable, but I asked what would be done for those mums for which that date is too late. It will be offered post delivery, this offering some protection to the baby by protecting the mum. Not good enough IMO, but better than nothing. The optimum time of having the vaccine is around 34 weeks apparently.

I would be interested if the dates in England are any earlier.

[DonnaDoon]

Thanks VQ I will keep you posted and yes Im in England (The Midlands). It is worrying that a boy in DDs class' 5 month old baby sister has just been hospitalized with whooping cough :(

[ValiumQueen]

donna oh dear. I wonder if she had the vaccine? No vaccine is 100% reliable unfortunately. Good to have a contact south of the border to compare notes with.

I remember as a student nurse caring for babies with whooping cough. It never bothered me as I was a hard bitch and just got on with what needed doing. It is very different once that child is your own. I actually looked after the son of a pop star (early 90s) who had it. I get goose pimples just thinking how close I was standing to him! (drools)

[ValiumQueen]

Oops! Thought I was answering another thread. I am no longer a bitch! Honest!

Just spoke to Public Health again. It seems an email has just been sent to GPs in Scotland to say they can do opportunistic vaccination, i.e. if I turn up at surgery asking for it and not being able to wait for the programme to start officially, I can be given it. I will put that to the test tomorrow and report back.

[nenehooo]

I've been reading this thread with interest - I didn't see the news but my mum mentioned it and then good old mn gives the full story! Called my gp this morning - they had literally just had all the paperwork in when I rang at 11 but said I'd have to call back on thurs as it would take a few days to set up. I have a mw appt thurs anyway so they said I'd prob get it there and then. Only trouble is, I'll be 38+1 so possibly too late? I'll have it anyway - my dh had a cough that lasted weeks a little while ago which is making us a bit worried... I shall be emailing my mp as soon as dh is off the computer. Oliver James was on the Wright Stuff this morning and on the topic of advertising, said something like "the media is raping us" harsh but I can see his point!