Whooping cough vaccine

[stargirl1701]

I gave birth to DD in Sept 2012 which was at the height of the whooping cough epidemic. Locally, 2 babies under 8 weeks were in ICU with whooping cough.

I was offered, and accepted, the whooping cough vaccination 3 weeks post birth. This was late Sept 2012.

I am due DC2 in Aug 2014. This is 23 months after I had the whooping cough vaccination. Do I need to have it again?

I have asked at the hospital, I have asked my midwife and I have asked my GP. No- one seems to know. I am waiting on the Practice Nurse at my GP Surgery getting back to me as the hospital suggested she might know.

What do you think?

I had a meeting with a consultant following my stillbirth in feb, he told me that when I got pregnant again I would need the vaccine again even if I was pregnant straight away

Thank you.

Sorry for your loss

Thank you x

They give the immunisation in late PG to maximise the maternal production of antibodies which then cross the placenta and give the newbaby a few weeks of protection (by which time the baby's own jabs will be due). For this effect, it needs repeating in every PG.

Later immunisation of the mother reduces the possibility of a mother, whose immunity, whether from disease or immunisation, may have dwindled becoming infected herself and passing it on to her children.