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Original poster

Whooping cough jab- YEY OR NEY

51 replies

YummyMummy17 · 22/04/2013 18:26

Hi ladies I didn't have this with DS but with the understanding it is becoming more common I'm not sure wether to have the jab or not...

What's everyone's opinions / experiences with this....

OP posts:

Shaiandbump · 22/04/2013 18:29

I had it with my flu jab at 9 weeks.... Apparently it's recommended that pregnant women have it past 28 weeks but my doctor refused to give me another one claiming my baby would still be safe but midwife disagrees.
I still haven't had another one tho

LouiseD29 · 22/04/2013 19:14

I'm planning on having it. Did some work with the Department of Health last year and they were concerned because of recent increase in fatalities, so have put more focus on getting the vaccination to minimise this risk. I've heard of no risks from having the jab so I don't really know why you wouldn't have it.

Also, I had whooping cough when I was a baby and the stories my mum tells me are pretty ghastly!

peanutMD · 22/04/2013 19:17

i work in a pre,school so i got it as i was at high risk.

DD is now 7 weeks and all is fine, i had no side effects at the time either except a bloody sore, dead arm for a few days.

seekingpeaceandquiet · 22/04/2013 19:51

I had the jab. Had a sore arm for a few days but other than that was fine. I could not forgive myself if I didn't have it and my baby was to catch it as it sounds horrendous.
Don't know why you're undecided though as there have not been any side effects reported and I think its the same jab given to kids.

Springforward · 22/04/2013 19:53

I had it. I had whooping cough as a preschool child and it was so horrible that I was very happy to have the jab now. Felt a bit rough for a day or two but otherwise was fine.

janey1234 · 22/04/2013 19:58

I've had it. No side effects except vaguely sore arm. Have two paediatric consultants in the family who said yes, definitely have it. One of them is pregnant and said she would def have it when she got to 28 weeks...

Quilty · 22/04/2013 20:28

Had mine last week, arm was a bit sore for a couple of days but felt fine. Only way to protect baby until old enough for the vaccine itself. Whooping cough cases in newborns has shot up for some reason in the past year or so which is why they are encouraging the jab for pregnant women.

Giraffeski · 22/04/2013 20:41

Having caught whooping cough myself at 20 weeks pregnant last year, I would definitely go for the jab as I would not wish to inflict that on a tiny baby.

SevenReasonsToSmile · 22/04/2013 21:01

It's not just a nasty illness, babies can and sadly do die from whooping cough. I can't see why anyone would choose not to have it, if the worst happened and I could have prevented it i'd never forgive myself.

Choccybaby · 22/04/2013 21:51

I had it last week and didnt even get a sore arm.
It has been given routinely for a while in USA and Australia with no significant problems reported and there have been a sadly rising number of deaths in newborns from it in the last year in the UK, so I was glad to have it.

mamabrownbear · 22/04/2013 22:35

I hawed and humed about it for a long time as well until my sister in law pointed out that the thing is you actually have very little control over the exposure your newborn gets in those first few vulnerable weeks. You will have all sorts of germs and contact viewing the baby. You can't hide away from the world and yes, there is a chance that the WC virus could be around. How can you vet your family or friends or their children for it? I got it as a result of realising that I'd far rather protect my baby as much as I could in these early stages than worry about someone bringing nasty germs into her environment. There is so little we can control such as how the pregnancy develops or the birth but we can control the risks we expose our babies too once they are born. I totally understand why people wouldn't take the vaccine but I'm ok with taking it now.

sleepythegiraffe · 23/04/2013 03:59

I had it and dd is now 14 weeks. When she was about 3 weeks, we thought my sister had whooping cough and she had been staying with us prior to developing the symptoms. Was very pleased i had had it.

MiaowTheCat · 23/04/2013 09:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

badguider · 23/04/2013 09:09

I will have it at 28 weeks.
As I understand it, it isn't for me at all it's for the baby once born as WC can be fatal in small newborns.

Can I ask why you're worrying/debating whether to have it or not? Why wouldn't you? (genuine question)... have you been told something bad aboaut it?

TinkyPeet · 23/04/2013 09:16

I haven't had it, because I react badly to injections and seem to get whatever disease it's trying to prevent (had flu jab - followed by horrendous flu. Had mmr when little - had measles a week later. Etc and so on!)
And I'm normally disease free lol. If I didn't react badly I would probably have it x

yellowhousewithareddoor · 23/04/2013 09:21

My baby had whooping cough at 9 weeks. It lasts nearly 3 months. The first month I had to check her each time she coughed, roughly every 20 minutes, 24-7, to check she wasn't going blue or we needed to call an ambulance. We were in a and e 3 times. It was honestly terrifying.

Please get the jab.

yellowhousewithareddoor · 23/04/2013 09:23

I got whooping cough as well, it was horrid and frightening (I'm asthmatic) but nowhere near as scary or life threatening as for a baby. I'd talk to a hv or Dr about your concerns, tinky. Not all vaccines are live -I think that's only possible with some or sometimes its coincidence but its worth asking.

Lorelei353 · 23/04/2013 11:33

I got it. Had a slightly sore arm for a few days. Like others, I couldn't forgive myself if baby got it and the worst happened, and I could've prevented it. I'm happy jabs are safe.

FoofFighter · 23/04/2013 16:56

I'll be having it. it's routine in the Us and other countries for ages, glad the UK is catching up.

quickdowntonson · 23/04/2013 17:03

Please please have it for your DS!! Whooping cough is v nasty. I'll be having it. Better to feel a bit rough for a few day that be really ill later on (and put the wider community at risk!)

shelley72 · 23/04/2013 17:09

i will also be having it (though my MW has failed to mention it so far and i am 30 weeks tomorrow). 10 babies in our county area died from WC last year and i had my DCs immunised as babies / toddlers when called for so i have no reason not to do the same for this one. as much as i hated feeling cruel for inflicting pain on them, i would just hate it if any of my children contracted anything that i could have prevented for them.

Trying123 · 23/04/2013 17:39

ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE JAB!!!
I had whooping cough last (nov 2011)year and it was awful. Off work for 2 months, could not leave the house (at all) for 3 weeks. slept only for 20 minutes at a time for weeks. My face was so swollen wth all the coughing and i wounld often be sick and/or cough myself into being on hands and knees about to pass out, had a few really scary moments in the early hours (it is typicaly worse at night) when i thought do i dial 999 while i still can!
Apparently i was much more affected that adults usualy are, they compared my level of sysmptoms to those a child may have. I did not actually stop coughing till May!!!
It poses a serious and potentialy deadly risk to babies and children
www.whoopingcough.net/symptoms.htm for more info.
Being off work for 2 months (and being a nurse he he) i had pleanty of time to research whooping cough and would advocate that everyone have the jabs, they have different and seemingly more comprehensive programmes in Austealia and the US, think we have been a bit slow to catch up.
Good luck

worsestershiresauce · 23/04/2013 17:50

I had it. New borns are very vulnerable and whooping cough can be fatal. I had sore arm for a few days but no other side effects, and dd was born healthy so it didn't harm her in any way.

Springforward · 23/04/2013 19:43

It's not a live vaccine, you cannot catch whooping cough from it, Tinky.

lucybrad · 23/04/2013 20:13

spring my thought exactly. tinkyYou can not catch flu from having the flu jab as its not a live virus - it just happens that your immunity from the jab had not reached a sufficient level to make you immune and you caught the flu anyway (as you would if you had not had the jab).The jab doesnt make you 100% immune immediately you have it, it generates the bodies response to fight and produce anti bodies and that doesnt happen over night. Same goes for measles jab. Im afraid to say tales like this are what put people off have jabs in the first place and cause the situation we are in now ( i live locally to the outbreak area).

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