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.

Thanks so much Valium that would be really helpful to get the leaflet, I want to go armed with info!

Just adding a quick note to those that live in the Republic of Ireland (like me) and are wondering whether the health authorities are going to make the same recommendations here.

I called my Domino team at the maternity hospital (Dublin's Rotunda) and was told by the mw the hospital is having a meeting/making a decision tomorrow about whether they're going to follow the UK recommendations.

I was not vaccinated against whooping cough (my mum bought the "it causes brain damage" populist line back in the 80s) so I that's why I'm actively chasing up about it. Am nearly 37 weeks.

It is so appalling that this issue has been dealt with so badly. The GPs and receptionists should of course never speak so rudely to patients (pregnant or not) but they have also clearly been treated badly and not kept informed of what is going on.

I haven't even seen anything in the news since that first day, it's only on MN we seem to have an exchange of information. There has clearly been a serious fuckup and there should be a bloody outcry. I might write to my MP anyway, even though I've now got an appt.

You can access it via the Internet.

www.immunisationscotland.org.uk Search for whooping cough, and it is the first thing that comes up. It was published 4 days ago, and is called Whooping Cough help protect your baby, and has a picture of a pregnant lady on it. Sorry I cannot do a direct link.

I am guessing there would be a similar one for south of the border.

Actually it now shows a direct link on the above page if you scroll down a bit.

Thanks Valium that is very helpful.

We did have to wait for paperwork directives from the DoH to clarify who we are to give the vaccine to, from what stock and how it is to be funded.

We also had to have drawn up a PSD (Patient Specific Direction) which acts as a "group prescription". Vaccines are prescription only medicines and so we can't just give them to patients, we have to have them prescribed. When we give vaccines regularly to certain groups of patients (such as flu jabs, baby imms etc) instead of generating hundreds of prescriptions we work from a PSD (or a PGD; Patient Group Directions) so that we can give prescription medication to groups of patients.

Where I work, we received the directives from the DoH yesterday and had the PSD today so could start offering the vaccine today.

Luckily we have enough spare vaccine for our pregnant ladies as well as children this week. Bear in mind that many surgeries don't have excess vaccine available (lack of storage space and preordering means that often practices will only order what they need on a week by week basis). They may be awaiting supplies.

Having said all that there is no need for surgery staff to be rude but do remember that those of us giving the vaccine often don't know much more about what's going on! Debussy that receptionist was clueless and you should take that to the practice manager.

Oh and flu vaccine can be given at the same time as Repevax (the diphtheria/tetanus/polio/pertussis vaccine that pregnant women are to receive)

If you do write to your MP blonder I would make this point. It's one thing to send a press release out to journalists but the bulletin to surgeries should go out at exactly the same time. I understand they use a cascading system - via the RCN and the BMA. If this can't be cascaded faster they should consider sending information direct to surgeries.

Happy to help. I wish you luck. Try not to stress too much though. You can tackle it tomorrow, hopefully having slept, and armed with a hot-off-the-press document to back you up.

It is hard enough being this late on in the pregnancy without this to cope with

Well i telephoned my surgery today and no one knows nothing. (London - Bromley) I have been told to try again tomorrow as the nurse who deals with vaccination may have heard something! I have just e-mailed the two links from the department of health as some help to them. BTW it is a large practice with over 4000 patients.

I am 27 weeks which in a normal pregnancy would be fine but i am having steriods next week as their is a high chance i will have the baby early despite a stitch and medication.

Hi all

Happy to share what I emailed to my MP.

I strongly urge you all to email your MP - just google MPs for whichever county you live in as each county council has a section on its website that gives all their details.

I'm incensed at the misinformation that's out there and how many women are being fobbed off.

Dear

I am a constituent of yours and reside at (your address, they won't respond unless you give them your address and home tel. ).

I am writing to complain about the mishandling of the Government's decision to offer the whooping cough vaccination to pregnant women.

You'll have to add your own story in here but this is what I said:

^I heard a news item this morning on the Today programme on Radio 4 where they stated that the Government is advising pregnant women between 28-38 weeks of gestation to take up the vaccination against whooping cough. It was explained that cases of whooping cough have risen considerably in recent months (in fact I have a local friend who was diagnosed with whooping cough in June this year) and 10 babies under 2 months old have died as a result of contracting whooping cough before their standard immunisation at 8 weeks old. The news item stated the vaccination would take the form of the 'pre-school booster' currently offered to 3 and 4 year olds in the year before starting primary school and that it would be available from Monday 1st October.

This was the first I had heard of this having received no information prior to this from either my midwife or my GP.

I am 37 weeks pregnant (EDD 20th October) and therefore have just one week in which to receive the vaccination and ensure maximum opportunity for immunity to pass from me to my unborn baby.

I rang my GP surgery (name and address of your surgery) first thing this morning. The receptionist knew nothing about it. The practice nurse rang me back at 10.30am this morning. She had seen an item on the local news but knew nothing else. She advised that they are not permitted to vaccinate patients without certain paperwork, which they have not had. The possibility of offering the vaccination to pregnant women has not been discussed in the surgery and she had no idea whose responsibility it might be to sort this out.^

I am very angry that the Dept. of Health has released information to the media without first contacting front-line health services to advise of the immunisation program and offering guidance on how it should be administered. As a responsible parent I am very concerned that if there is a way of protecting my baby from a potentially fatal disease I should be able to take it up. The Government is raising anxiety among expectant mothers without having put any system in place to deal with the consequences of women seeking to take up a vaccination that does not appear to be available yet.

There were similar issues of information/misinformation 2 years ago when pregnant women were offered the flu vaccination for the first time. I was pregnant then too and had to fight to receive the vaccination as my GP surgery had run out of the vaccine. Have no lessons been learnt?

I would like an explanation as to how this situation has arisen and a guarantee that as our MP you will be doing all you can to ensure the lives of babies in your constituency are protected. What a horrendous situation it would be if a baby died locally because the vaccine was not made available to its mother even though the Government had made a national public announcement that it would be.

Yours sincerely

Feel free to use bits/change bits. Had I had a bit more time and been less angry I probably would have worded parts of my email better.

Good luck everyone with receiving the vaccine in time.

Have e mailed MP!

Quick update - after no joy from doc I rang surgery again and asked if I could speak to practice nurse who will be giving me flu jab this week - was asked why and explained and was told well you need to speak to a doc. I explained (remarkably patiently I thought given the circumstances) that I had and he hasn't got a clue. Anyway told me to ring back and speak to practice manager. Anyway whilst out doc rang back and spoke to DH - he said having looked into it it certainly was something I should have and he would look into it further and contact me again tomorrow so here is hoping I finally get an answer of some kind tomorrow!!!

My GP surgery were clueless, someone is 'calling me back'
Is anyone else on the fence about this?
I am really worried about the vaccine affecting the baby as there is no proof yet that it does not. And to add polio, diptheria etc to the mix as well, I feel like I have been put in an impossible situation.

farfalla I would rather regret following national guidance than choosing to ignore it and not vaccinate. If anything were to happen, I would never forgive myself for not having it. There are other countries who currently vaccinate, and it is given later in pregnancy when the baby is better able to cope with such things. I was pregnant when swine flu hit, and that was more of a dilemma than this, as it was a new strain.

Farfalla that's how I feel. I would feel equally bad if something happened if I did, or if something happened if I didn't. It is an impossible situation. FWIW I think
I am going to have it, although my appointment is post 40 weeks we shall see what happens in reality.

Yes farfalla I agree with previous poster - I too was pregnant when swine flu was going on and refused vaccine however am determined to have this.

i went for my 16 weeks appointment today and my midwife told me she will talk to me at my 25 week appointment about when to schedule the vaccine for. she seemed to know exactly what was going on which was good news.

moonhARE

LOVE your email to your mp!!!esp

a guarantee that as our MP you will be doing all you can to ensure the lives of babies in your constituency are protected. What a horrendous situation it would be if a baby died locally because the vaccine was not made available to its mother even though the Government had made a national public announcement that it would be.

I had heard about the whopping cough guidance very briefly on the news. I had my 28wk midwife appointment today (in Bham) and midwife mentioned it to me but didn't seem to have many details. She just said it was advisable. I was told to speak to reception who put my name on a list and took my contact details. I don't know when I expect to hear from them. I noticed that my name was the only one on the list. I was not sure what to think before but having read all the discussions on here I think it seems wise to get the vaccination and I will be chasing the surgery if I don't hear from them soon. Has anyone who's had it in the last couple of days noticed any side effects?

Those of you who are less than 28 weeks do not need to have the vaccine yet. It's to be given from 28 weeks.

Vaccine stocks have to be prioritised for women currently 38+ weeks.

There is no evidence that the vaccine causes any harm. It's an inactivated vaccine and will cause your body to make antibodies which will then pass to the foetus; this takes a couple of weeks or so hence why the vaccine ideally is to be given before 38 weeks.

The vaccines used in the States, France and Germany contain tetanus and diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) toxoids, not polio, as the one used in the UK does. Polio vaccine (even inactivated) is NOT recommended during pregnancy.

I'm really worried the medical authorities are recommending it without sufficient research and based on a media frenzy.
I have my jab scheduled for tomorrow and can't sleep trying to decide whether to do it or not...

I don't believe its a media frenzy. Imo its been badly reported before anyone's had the chance to be organised but I've known theres a whooping cough issue for months - I was pointed to the HPA website by work (school nurse) during slapped cheek issues in May (also a mini 'flash year', it goes in cycles) and noticed it was on the increase, it was reported in Scotland locally earlier in the year and I heard it on r4 and world service reports from other parts of the world. I also know personally of adults who've been badly affected and had cases confirmed. I've taught for 11 years and never heard of either slapped cheek or whooping cough in school till this year!

From what I can tell from stats below its how it has blown up amongst adults that is the issue for new born babies. I think you have to do what you feel is right for you. personally I feel the risks of the illness in a newborn out weigh those of the vaccine. Remember its you that are having the jab which will generate antibodies to pass on to baby to offer protection.

latest stats

and here

Info:

That bottom link seems to give good info about the actual vaccination as well as the comparative risks of the disease.

I had mine, flu and Dtap. Baby didn't want to take the risk of wh as I work with kids and Dh is a nurse so we could easily be exposed.