14wks pregnant should I have flu and whooping cough vaccines?

[AlphaBeta82]

Keep hearing a lot about both but neither doctor or midwife have mentioned?
Have others had the jabs and is whooping cough a new one as I didn't have it with DS.

[knottyhair]

I had both jabs - flu jab earlier, then WC at 30 weeks. TBH I did feel a bit rough in the 24 hours following both but nothing major. Have seen a lot of scaremongering about unknown side effects of the WC vaccine, but given that a side effect of WC on a newborn is death, it was a no brainer for me.

[LadyMaryCrawley]

I've had both in the last fortnight, am 31 weeks and not taking any chances!

Baby will be born with protection it gets via me, which will last until it gets its own jab at 8 weeks - so no need for partners to get done (unless they are at risk, obviously)

[AmberSocks]

I didnt have them,it hasnt been tested enough (on pregnant women) and the actual vaccine itself isnt efficiant,most of the people who have had the whooping cough in the outbreak were vaccinated,something ridiculous like 80 per cent.I have also seen the insert for it and it says do not use on pregnant women,and nothing in the vaccine has changed since they said you should have it,so i dont see how its suitable all of a sudden when it wasnt a year ago.

[LordOfThe5Rings]

I'd advise to get your flu injection. It doesn't harm the baby and prevents you from getting the flu, which can sometimes cause complications during pregnancy.

I would read up more about whooping cough first, but I'd say yes to it as there is no evidence it harms the baby in any way and it prevents the baby from catching it in the first few months of their life. It can be spread by droplets in the air and therefore can spread from baby to baby or parent to baby. However, you should recieve this injection at 28 weeks so a while yet. Get the midwife to tell you all the facts and make an active choice that you feel is right for you.

Good luck with your pregnancy :)

P.S: I did get the flu jab and all is fine!

[TheCountessOlenska]

I'm jab happy, stick me with anything is my motto! Was first in the queue for the Swine Flu jab last pregnancy
I have a horror of Flu, and Whooping Cough sounds even more scary . . . BUT no one has offered me either so far (am 25 weeks) - will be ringing the GP on Monday to book myself in for both

[Chislemum]

ha, noone mentioned them to me (had DS in August). I would have them.

[FreakySnuckerCupidStunt]

I'm 31 weeks pregnant and I've had both of them, worst side effect I had was feeling like I had been punched in the arm after my WC for a few days. Get them, it's not worth the risk.

[DyeInTheEar]

NHS guidelines

[Suze77]

I don't understand this because surely most mom's-to-be had whooping cough when they were kids and so have natural immunity to pass on to their babies?

[Suze77]

sorry about stray apotrophe in above post!

[worsestershiresauce]

I have had both. Neither the midwife nor the GP surgery mentioned them to me - in my area you have to ring the GP and book them yourself. Tell them you are pregnant when you book.

[BlingBubbles]

Yes yes and yes!!! Especially to the whooping cough vaccine! I had the flu jab at 14 weeks pregnant and it didn't affect me at all

[ArkadyRose]

No, most mothers-to-be will have received the vaccine as babies, not actually contracted whooping cough themselves. Since the WC vaccine was introduced in the 1950s the WC rate dropped steadily - so the only mothers with natural immunity now will be those who caught WC as babies before they were old enough to be vaccinated - which was the case with me. (Caught it at 3 weeks old, nearly died of it, spent 8 weeks in ICU.)

[ArkadyRose]

(That comment addressed to suze77 btw.)

[scissy]

I have had both, flu at 25 wks and wc at 28. I felt a bit headachy after both, but apparently that's common. Tbh, given what can happen to newborns who catch wc it was a no-brainer for me. Suze77, apparently even natural immunity to wc wears off, so if you had wc as a child that's no guarantee you won't get it again as an adult.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Also natural whooping cough immunity only lasts for on average 8 years.

I speak in bitter experience after having whooping cough twice! Both times properly diagnosed and about 7 years apart.

[StuckInTheFensAwayFromHome]

Can I echo imagines post about getting your flu jab soon. I phoned to see if I could have mine on 19th when I have a day off for some tests and my practice only has 80 left and they will run out by then... So i'm going in on Tuesday and have to suck up the fact that its more time off and less pay...

[SmethwickBelle]

I'd definitely seek it out and get the vaccine if I was pregnant, I had WC as a child aged around 10 in the 80s, as did my then baby brother, (I think there was a vaccine but we didn't have it) WC was incredibly debilitating, just relentless whooping, I can still hear his baby whoops, he was so poorly and we gave it to my granny who detatched a retina with the coughing.

Just horrible memories of the episode all round. Just this week I made enquiries about my perfectly healthy 5 and 3 year old getting the vaccine as I've always been a bit twitchy about it and was sad to hear it was back. They aren't considered at risk so that's fine, but if they were I'd be first in the queue for them.

It is a new thing, I think it's in the third trimester you get offered it but definitely worth a call to the GP to check.

[GinGirl]

Had the flu jab at 12 weeks, didn't want to risk waiting til later in the flu season. And with one school age, one preschooler and one toddler - they bring home all sorts!
Re WC, all vaccines lose effectiveness with time. That is why you are retested for Rubella immunity each pregnancy. So it doesn't matter if you were vaccinated against WC as a child and that it has 'worn off', WC in adults is commonly called the '90 day cough', you may not realise you have it and may not even have the 'whoop' sound. WC is not (usually) fatal in adults. It is proving to be a massive problem if contracted by babies under 8 weeks. Hence the vaccination of pregnant women - I feel it would be unnecessarily risky to turn it down!

[RubyrooUK]

I am 25 weeks pregnant.

I was planning to get the WC one because it is so serious for babies. But I actually had WC at 14mo old and was very ill for months - do I still need it or do I have natural immunity as I actually had the disease? I get a bit confused about whether I have immunity now; have never had the injection (hence actually getting WC).

Not sure about flu jab for number of reasons. One, have a mental job at the moment and even a day or two feeling ill is impossible. Two, I had it as a teen when my mum had a compromised immune system and it made me very ill so I am a bit worried about that. Three, I already have a toddler who has had colds/flu several times this winter already; I seem to get a mild version of his ones so am rarely actually feeling fully healthy, which makes me less inclined again to have the jabs while feeling rough!

I'm going to ask the midwife in a couple of weeks at my 28 week appointment about the flu jab though and see if she can set my mind at ease.

[RubyrooUK]

Ah I see from the comments posted while I was typing that yes I do need the WC vaccine despite having had it. Thanks.

[AlphaBeta82]

Thanks all, I didn't go in earlier for flu as had so many miscarriages getting to this point I thought I would jinx myself if I went and got it earlier, silly as i know that sounds.
Called DR's taday and they've currently run out and trying to source new vaccines so asked me to call back monday. I know I can get it privately if needed.
Thansk for all the advice.

[funnyperson]

Yes do have the whooping cough vaccine. My sis and brother n law just had whooping cough. I was really surprised. They were both vaccinated as children and aren't that ancient. Sis was very ill for a very long time. Vaccinating the mum gives protection to the baby because the mum's antibodies generated by the vaccine cross the placenta.

[RooneyMara]

Just to note that the vast majority of cases are happening among people over 15, so, mainly adults.

I'm not sure why this is.

[bigkidsdidit]

Yes do have both

Im a respiratory scientist and I'm pregnant and having both. Flu can be very serious in pregnant women.