Whooping cough vaccine

[Mamabear14]

I am currently 25 weeks and will be due the vaccine at my next midwife appt. having read up on it it also contains protection against tetanus. When I was a kid I reacted really badly to a tetanus jab and I've not had one since, is there any chance I will react badly again or not if its not live? I really don't want to get ill or risk my baby.

Talk it through with your doctor.

A friend of mine didn't get the vaccine and unfortunately her baby got whooping cough at 3 weeks. It was extremely serious and the parents have been through an awful time. Baby is now four months old and is still having problems with coughing at night.

It so contains diphtheria and polio.

If you've had a reaction before, you may well do so again so speak to your doctor. Think if it were me I'd steer well clear.

It is an agonising decision, obviously I want to do my best for the baby but if I react badly again surely that won't do her any good either.
I did have whooping cough when I was about 6 and I remember it being a truly miserable time, so I know I have some immunity but I don't know whether that automatically passes on, I would assume not.

A localised reaction (like a painful arm) won't make any difference.

Not having the transferred antibodies (which your body makes in response to the jab) will make a difference, and it could be an important one if you encounter whooping cough before the first infant jabs.

Your antibodies will not be passed on unless your body is making them in late PG. This happens only if you are exposed to whooping cough (eg by jab).

Posted too soon: as you didn't describe the bad reaction in detail, I rather assumed you meant very sore arm and of course there might be other components. You need to talk to an HCP in detail about any and all other events during your bad reaction, and whether any close relatives have also experienced serious side effects or ever been vaccinated in hospital as a precaution.

I had severe swelling, burning of the skin and my entire leg went rock hard. I am nearly 30 so the immunity I had from having it is probably long gone. I haven't had a baby since 2006 so having to decide on this is all new to me! I may ask to have it and then be kept there for monitoring for a bit just to check all is ok.

I'd let them know about your reaction and then take their advice - they may just want to have you stay in the clinic for an hour or so to monitor you. Both whooping cough and tetanus are very unpleasant to get so if you can have them, I would.