Whooping cough

[BumpOct2014]

This is my first post on Mumsnet, although I have been a lurker for a while now.

I'm 29 weeks pregnant and have been debating over the whooping cough vaccine for the last 5 weeks.
I know this has probably been asked before but what are people's views on it? I'm REALLY torn over what to do.
I've done some research and reading on the internet and cannot decide what to do for the best!

I'm a teacher and when we go back to school in September I will be working with Year 1 (5-6 year olds). I am only there for 7 weeks (I hope!) but have already had slapped cheek, measles and chicken pox worries since I found out that I was pregnant.

Hubby seems more anti than pro vaccine but keeps saying he doesn't want to say 'in hindsight...'
I see the point of vaccinations, and feel that my job probably suggests I should have it. However, it has only been given to pregnant women for a few years (?) and the vaccine used changed last month. Hubby is really leaving this up to me and I find it difficult to engage him in any discussion.
That makes him sound like he doesn't care but he really does - he has been fab throughout my pregnancy so far :-)

whyowhy I seem to remember reading that the mother of one of the babies that died since the introduction of vaccine had been vaccinated, but they were suggesting it was too late in the pregnancy to offer protection. It wouldn't be so surprising if some babies of fully vaccinated women did come down with WC though, because no vaccine is 100% effective. (I'm quoting from memory but I think the effectiveness of Repevax for WC is something like 85%) Hopefully the number of cases in newborns never gets high enough for this to become an issue.

I've had WC when expecting DS2 some 10 years ago.
It was absolute misery for about 10 weeks and apart from anything else shot my pelvic floor to pieces. DS2 was fine (well, 9 weeks premature, but unrelated reason although my father to this day claims I 'shuggled him loose' by coughing so much and so violently).

No vaccine offers 100% protection, but I cannot understand why anybody would not chose to reduce the risk to themselves and their child if the option is there? Genuinely puzzles me.

Can anyone tell me if breastfeeding would offer much protection for a newborn?

pacific because there is a risk of side effects? Because there is no hard proof it works? Because vaccination isn't foolproof and your baby could suffer unknown side effects and STILL get whooping cough? It's not black and white - if it was, I'd have it. I don't want my baby to get wc, but by the same token, I fear we are being used as guinea pigs

When I had DS I wasn't offered the vaccine...DS had whooping cough as a baby and it was horrendous he would cough so much he would stop breathing turn purple make the most horrendous noise then vomit! In and out of hospital needing fluids etc We slept on the bathroom floor for well over a month because it was easier to clean he had it for 3 months...go on YouTube and watch a video of a baby with whooping cough

No, it's not black and white and of course there are risks and unknows. However the risks of WC and the known dangers are IMO underestimated because none of us of current childbearing age have any kind of memory or experience of widespread childhood deaths and disability from infectious diseases.

It is a very personal decision and not one I'd ever suggest anybody should make for anybody else.

annbag I would double check that info if you haven't had it. As whoever told you that may have got their facts wrong. I am not aware of any changes to the national guidelines.

Have you tried phoning your gp surgery to book it in with the nurse? As that is where it is given usually.

annbag I'm afraid they did get their facts wrong as this was released by public health England only last month that the vaccine should continued to be offered for the next 5 years.

"Public Health England (PHE) welcomes today’s (16 July 2014) announcement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advising the Department of Health (DH) that the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccination programme for pregnant women should continue for a further 5 years. The advice reflects new data on vaccine effectiveness and safety published by PHE and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)."

www.gov.uk/government/news/continuation-of-whooping-cough-vaccination-programme-in-pregnancy-advised

Sorry forgot link.

My husband had whooping cough badly as a baby and suffers with his chest to this day, I had the vaccine without hesitation.

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to say thanks for all the replies.

When I first heard about the vaccine I was going to just have it done. As others have said if anything happened to my baby I would never forgive myself - that's why I stopped riding my horse as soon as I found out I was pregnant.

The thing that threw me and made me debate whether to have it or not was that the midwife who originally mentioned it (at 24 weeks) said it was recommended between 28 and 32 weeks BUT that I needed to go away and research and decide whether I wanted it or not. Then, when I saw a different midwife at 28 weeks, she said the same - go away, read up on it and decide whether you want it.

I am still MORE in favour of having it done than not, think I need to pin hubby down and have a good chat about it! As I said, being a teacher of 5-6 year olds I'm exposed to enough germs as it is - don't want to risk baby when I can potentially prevent it.

Thanks again.

Annbag no it shouldn't vary between areas at all. It's an England-wide initiative and all areas should be offering the vaccine to pregnant women from 28 weeks.

If you look at Me23s link you can see the recommendation for all areas, and the evidence supporting it's safety and effectiveness.

BumpOct2014 ideally the vaccine should be given between 28 and 32 weeks as this is when it's most effective but you can have it any time up to delivery, and actually beyond delivery. It is most ideal to have it 3+ weeks before birth though to achieve optimal antibody transference.

What notoasthere said
There are too many "what ifs" for me so I chose not to have it but I'd never question someone else's choice to have it

It's each to their own. I am not anti-vaccine (I even give them as part of my job), however I don't agree with vaccines in pregnancy unless the benefits far outweigh the potential risks.
I have looked at the statistics. Where I live, there were only a couple of confirmed cases of whooping cough in babies

My midwife did not mention this vaccine to me at all, I am now 35 weeks pregnant. I live in Solihull - West Midlands - and have not had any high numbers of WC reported or any at all - I was googling and could not find anything but will double check with my GP. They do say you can get this vaccine between 28-38 weeks, best time 28-32 weeks as it takes around 2 months for the baby to get the antibodies not just 2 weeks as they state. I have consulted with numerous paediatricians and been told this, both UK and foreign ones. Otherwise, why would the best time to get it would be 28-32 weeks. I am also worried about how my body would react to it as they have to inject the virus inside you for it to create antibodies. I have been feeling really good in this pregnancy and worried something would happen if I was to have it 4 weeks before my c section date. This virus transmits from a person to a person. My husband and I have a very small family and no other children that could bring it from school as well as any other illnesses that children get in schools. The baby will be at home with me. I also wont be going with the baby into public for the first few months, garden is enough for us for fresh air. Good luck to us all...

i had it and didn't think twice about it. i also couldn't live with myself if baby got it.
the more people not having it raises the risk of it being in the community.
before i was even pregnant i read a report that there had been a rise in baby WC deaths. I think Honey might be right.
but ultimately i think we are very very lucky we have the choice.

Hi, I'm definately going to have this vaccination.

I'm an immunologist (scientist not medic) and wouldn't hesitate. The reason for the timing of the jab is that in the last 3 months of gestation you actively transfer antibodies from your blood to the baby, this gives them a good bit of initial protection. If you do breast feed you will also pass on more antibodies so this is good too. However they are two different types of antibodies and it is better to have both if possible. (sorry if i'm teaching you all to suck eggs)

It is an attenuated vaccine, so if you have a normal immune system it should not make you ill. The safety record for this in pregnancy is pretty good in my opinion.

I had whooping cough as a child, it nearly killed me. I have never seen a baby with it and never want to.