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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

pre - birth whooping cough vaccination?

53 replies

PeppermintChaiLatte · 07/03/2015 15:06

I'm 26 weeks and my midwife wants me to have the whooping cough vaccination in a couple of weeks time. I was given leaflets but feel a bit odd about it as I've never heard of this before. I'm already immunised from childhood; and it does not replace the vaccination they give to baby when they're born. It's not a live vaccine, and I did have the flu jab before Xmas so I guess it's pointing towards having it. Have other people been offered this and what are your views?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Nel1975 · 07/03/2015 15:09

Your baby won't get a vaccination until they are 2 months. If you get the vaccine whilst pregnant it will help protect baby until then.

blowinahoolie · 07/03/2015 15:13

I will be getting this at 28 weeks, would regret it if baby caught it after the birth because they can become poorly very quickly.

husbanddoestheironing · 07/03/2015 15:15

Your own original vaccination won't protect the baby as you need to produce lots of new antibodies that will then cross the placenta and protect your baby for the first few weeks after birth. They have introduced this due to the current increased prevalence of whooping cough. In a newborn this would be extremely serious.

greenlizard · 07/03/2015 15:15

I had mine at 30 weeks with no issues at all. The vaccination passes on protection to the baby when they are first born until such time as they can be immunised themselves. An individual choice of course but personally I can't see why anyone wouldn't - whooping cough is nasty.

Chunderella · 07/03/2015 19:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NickyEds · 07/03/2015 20:03

This was introduced after a spate of deaths from whooping cough among babies. It's a perfectly safe vaccination to a potentially terrible disease, I had it in my last pregnancy and I'll have it again for this one. Your arm might be a bit sore for a couple of days though!!

HeyMicky · 07/03/2015 20:07

Just had mine this week. It covers the baby from birth til their own jab. Whooping cough is on the rise so please make sure you and your baby are covered

RolyPolierThanThou · 07/03/2015 20:11

During my last pregnancy last year two babies in my local area died after contracting whooping cough so I didn't hesitate to get vaccinated. It would be too horrible to lose a baby from something preventable.

Artistic · 07/03/2015 20:28

No side effects, so I guess it can be useful and definitely not harmful.

Feckeggblue · 07/03/2015 20:31

I didn't hesitate. I have to say- I am very pro vax, not at all scared of needles and have barely noticed the vaccinations I've had to date but WC hurt afterwards. Painful arm for about 5 days and bruising. That may well be the skill of the nurse, or maybe she just had a bad shot though.

Original poster

PeppermintChaiLatte · 07/03/2015 20:53

Thanks all, seems fairly unanimous decision to me!

OP posts:

Skiptonlass · 07/03/2015 21:41

Absolutely take the jab! I had whooping cough as a very young infant and I was very sick.

It's increasing in prevalence due to parents who won't vaccinate (and I have zero compunction in saying that - these mommy bloggers who are anti vaccination have blood on their hands.)

Not only will it protect babs but it'll boost your own protection too, which can wane after a couple of decades.

rosedavo · 08/03/2015 03:08

My midwife told me the same, said its reccomended because the baby will be born with some immunity

PinkyAndTheBump · 08/03/2015 03:40

One thing to note. It's actually a 4-in-1 of whooping cough, diphtheria,polio & TETANUS! Only the whooping cough passes over to the baby though. It's the exact same jab the baby will get at 6-8w from what I remember the midwife saying.

The tetanus component means it does hurt. So chose your arm carefully remembering that you're meant to sleep in your left side - so probably think about having it your right arm. Or ask if you can get it in your leg.

Feckeggblue · 08/03/2015 07:31

Are you sure pinky? How can they give it to you without telling you that? (Just looked through the NHS literature and that's not mentioned. Once )

Feckeggblue · 08/03/2015 07:39

Gosh you're right. It's hidden in the NHS website. I wasn't told that at all.

MsShellShocked · 08/03/2015 07:45

And by no side effects people mean no immediate side effects.

Obviously no long term studies have been done, on long term side effects, because it's a new thing to offer it in pregnancy.

PinkyAndTheBump · 08/03/2015 16:02

I was surprised at it being 4-in-1 but nurse said only whooping cough vaccine crosses placenta. I totally understand the benefit of getting some protection for my baby until she's old enough to get her own but was a bit narked at the stuff I read where it was stated that the whooping cough vaccine in this new 4-in-1 wasn't same as the old one and wasn't as good. Something to do with how it's made and using different parts of the virus or something. But I reckon it's better than nothing, and as she's "winterborn" is more likely to be exposed to whooping cough. If she was summerborn I might have given it a miss.

Feckeggblue · 08/03/2015 19:57

Totally better than nothing but don't know why they don't mention it. If only so I know the last time I had a tetanus should I need to tell
Anyone!

Elledouble · 08/03/2015 20:04

They told me it was 4-in-1 when I had mine last month

My arm was sore for a few days afterwards, too, so think about which arm to have it in.

Sidge · 08/03/2015 20:12

It's not the same as the baby gets at 2, 3 and 4 months. It's the same vaccine given to preschoolers. Babies get the 5-in-1 vaccine which also contains Hib.

It should be made clear to you that the vaccine is not solely pertussis (whooping cough) but also contains diphtheria, tetanus and polio.

Pertussis vaccine in the 60s and 70s was whole cell pertussis and could cause nasty side effects hence why the more modern vaccine is acellular and causes fewer side effects. The downside is the protection isn't quite as long term, ie not life long, which is probably why whooping cough cases started increasing again.

GotToBeInItToWinIt · 08/03/2015 20:17

I was told it was 4-in-1.

My cousin nearly died of whooping cough as a baby so there was no way I was refusing it.

WelshGirlSeeksMarmite · 08/03/2015 20:47

Does anyone know if you can pay to get just the whooping cough vaccination if the NHS only offers the 4-in-1? I'm not keen on having unnecessary jabs particularly as I had diphtheria, tetanus and polio a couple of years ago before going on holiday.

Sidge · 08/03/2015 20:54

I'm not aware that any single pertussis vaccine is available - not in the UK anyway.

In the same way that single tetanus vaccine is no longer manufactured.

I suppose you could view it as not unnecessary, because it's not really for your benefit but for your baby's. So necessary for the baby!

RL20 · 08/03/2015 21:19

It is offered to all pregnant women on the NHS for a reason so please do take it. I had mine this week just gone. If you have a bad cold I would perhaps avoid it until the next week as the midwife said it possibly make it a little bit worse, not guaranteed but could, so I changed my appointment until the following week because I think you can be up to 34 or 36 weeks?
I had an achey arm for about 48 hours and that's it, had heard you can get cold-like symptoms but I had none of that. I didn't with my flu jab.
There's no reason why you wouldn't have it really, a simple quick jab just like the flu jab.

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