To have the whooping cough vaccine?

[cherryontopp]

Im 32+5 and still havent decided whether i want the vaccine.

When I've researched into it, theres a hell of a lot cases where they have healthy pregancnies and the baby has stopped growing within days of having the jab.

Its took me 3 years to conceive and itneas through IVF. To say im anxious about anything happening to the baby would be an understatement.
I know if a baby does get whooping cough it can be dangerous.

I really dont know what to do

QueenAravisOfArchenland you are exactly right. Smallpox had a fatality rate of over 90% before it was eradicated by vaccination.

There's an old cemetery near me that stopped accepting burials about 1920. What I always find striking walking through it is the number of headstones for babies, toddlers and children. We just take if for granted today that it's extremely rare for a child to die from medical causes. Before the widespread use of vaccines it was expected to happen frequently.

Hurrah for Missconduct and Queens sensible and reasoned observations. There are few things in this life that drive me to real fury. However people who have done internet based 'research' meaning they understand barely 2% of the science involved setting themselves up as experts on vaccines is one of them.

Kohi36 it is unlikely you have natural immunity and whilst breast feeding is great for babies it won't be the magic answer for whooping cough. Let's hope breast feeding is a breeze for you because it may not be.
In reality you and your baby will be relying on herd immunity to keep you from contracting whooping cough. Herd immunity is decreasing all the time due to scaremongering on the Internet. Whooping cough is truly awful and it does kill. Those are facts. The young people I work with already have life compromising complications which mean they can't have many vaccines not only whooping cough. Reduction in herd immunity is a life threatening problem for them.

If I could have it I would. But as a baby I reacted badly to it so they won't give me the whooping cough one in this pregnancy.... not happy

user the vaccine was changed from wholecell to acellular in the 90s and acellular vaccines cause fewer reactions.

So you shouldn’t be advised to avoid the acellular vaccine used now.

@sidge I've had so much injected into me over the years I really don't know why they are so concerned about me having this vaccine. I'm going to ask again

Sidge, there is a very small chance that her earlier adverse reaction was triggered by one of the pertussis antigens that's purified and used in a aP vaccine.

user, by all means, ask your doctor if that's why they think it's contraindicated.

MissConduct of course, I imagine it also depends on what sort of reaction. A fever and rash vs anaphylaxis!

I had it. At almost 33 weeks it would be far safer for the baby to stop growing and need to be born and need a bit of support, than it would to catch whooping cough which could potentially be fatal.

I chose not to have the whooping cough vaccine for several reasons.

*As OP said, there's anecdotal evidence that some women have suffered negative consequences such as miscarriage, premature birth or a baby that stops growing.

*Vaccines are generally not recommended for pregnant women and the information leaflet for this vaccine says it hasn't been tested on pregnant women and should only be given when the benefit clearly outweighs the risk.

*I didn't feel the benefit outweighs the risk as whooping cough has declined since the vaccine was introduced and there were very few cases in my region last year, plus I have concerns about the safety of the vaccine.

*Having the vaccine doesn't guarantee that the baby won't get whooping cough.

*Nobody knows the long term effects because the first children to have this vaccine during pregnancy are still only a few years old. It could still emerge that these children have negative side effects as they approach adulthood.

*The vaccine isn't just for whooping cough - it also includes other unnecessary vaccines such as diphtheria, tetanus and polio.

*Doctors are telling pregnant women that the vaccine is safe - but they also told them that thalidomide was safe. I'd prefer to take no medication at all during pregnancy to be on the safe side.

Either way I feel like there are no certainties. Have the vaccine and risk adverse effects. Don't have the vaccine and risk whooping cough. I chose the latter (along with approx. 40% of pregnant women in the UK who also chose not to have the vaccine).

Bellamuerte you state-*I didn't feel the benefit outweighs the risk as whooping cough has declined since the vaccine was introduced and there were very few cases in my region last year, plus I have concerns about the safety of the vaccine.

Wow. So it’s ok for everyone else to give you protected herd immunity. What would happen if everyone had your mindset?

I think the risk of Whooping Cough is worse than possible vaccination side effects but totally your choice. I did decline the Flu vaccine for similar reasons, I thought I would feel much worse after so I took my chances. Flu isn't that common for a person and I've had 2 my entire 35 yrs so I thought I'd be safe enough not to bother. I didn't catch flu that winter, nor have I had one since!!!

Shadowboy: The "herd immunity" of which you speak is from vaccinations given to children and adults with mature immune systems, not from newborn babies receiving 10 weeks of temporary immunity due to their mother being vaccinated during pregnancy.

I have no objection to my child having vaccinations after birth and fully intend to vaccinate at 8-10 weeks when he has a sufficiently mature immune system to cope with it. I do however feel it's unsafe to vaccinate in the womb.

The vaccine isn't just for whooping cough - it also includes other unnecessary vaccines such as diphtheria, tetanus and polio.
I think if your child contracted diphtheria tetanus or polio you wouldn't call these vaccines unnecessary.

The vaccine isn't just for whooping cough - it also includes other unnecessary vaccines such as diphtheria, tetanus and polio.

These are all vaccines that provide protection for a limited period of time, so it makes sense to have a top up for your own well-being.

Bellamuerte- yes but the point I’m making is that you will rely on ‘us’ to protect your baby. Those 10 weeks that you speak of - your baby won’t have those antibodies so as you said- your area hasn’t had an outbreak, so you are hoping that this will protect your baby, rather than the anti bodies that could have protected baby. It’s completely up to you what you do with your body - obviously! But it seems selfish for one of your reasons to be based on what others have done with their bodies?

My take on it was - had your local area not been so widely vaccinated and therefore had had an outbreak you would then have vaccinated.

100% yes to getting the vaccine.

I didn’t realise whopping cough was even still a thing until I encountered it still newly qualified in my professional career about 6 years ago. I will never forget being involved in the care of a baby just months old with whooping cough. I followed this little ones journey through the hospital and was involved in several stages of his care...on admission to hospital, post intubation on critical care and very sadly post mortem.

I had the vaccine with my son and was fine. Don’t risk it.

Doctors are telling pregnant women that the vaccine is safe - but they also told them that thalidomide was safe.

That was more than fifty years ago, and the direct cause of a complete overhaul of how we test and track the effects of medications. If the vaccine in pregnancy caused negative effects, we would know by now, just as we knew within a few years with thalidomide - especially as there are active programmes to vaccinate pregnant women.