Whooping cough - should dads be vaccinated too?

[ArchangelGallic]

A comment on another thread made me think....if vaccinations are about herd immunity, then why aren't new dads given the whooping cough vaccine too?

I understand that mums are offered the vaccine in pregnancy so the antibodies can help protect the baby, but surely if there is a risk of adults losing immunity and passing it around, then dads should also get a vaccination?

I know the USA has a bit of an epidemic in some areas but I've not read anything about the UK.

There doesn't appear to be a lot of cases but it seems enough to warrant a vaccination.
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325826/Confirmed_cases_of_Pertussis.pdf

The NHS website and other reports do actually talk about adults losing immunity and passing on WC.

You're right that adults will lose immunity (it's one of the biggest problems with WC) and that to achieve herd immunity there would have to be mass vaccination campaigns across all ages. Although I agree that the number of cases are quite small by historical standards (and actually have gone right back down to pre-outbreak levels in most areas). I think the CDC considered this early on in the latest outbreak and recommended cocooning as well as pregnant women getting the jab. I think the UK didn't consider this cost effective however, and there was also a shortage of vaccine - I found a year or so ago that you couldn't even get it privately as the NHS had sequestered all of it.

The jab in pregnancy isn't about herd immunity though, it's supposed to generate a short term response that's designed to carry the baby over till their own jabs at 8 weeks.

I certainly make any of my family members that will be in contact with the baby get a boost between now and when the baby comes.
Most of us have not received a boost since we are teenagers and I would hate for it to be an outbreak when my little one hasn't had its on jabs yet.
Better safe than sorry right?