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

Original poster

Whooping cough vaccination

27 replies

XylophoneSymphony · 15/04/2020 18:24

I had this as a child plus 2 years ago in last pregnancy and I have read the immunity lasts about 10 years....

I’ve been told I need to have another during current pregnancy ? But surely I still have the immunity/antibodies to pass on to baby ? Also I don’t really want a trip to the gp if I can help it
Will it be ok if I don’t have it this time ?

OP posts:
Pinkblueberry · 15/04/2020 18:36

Where did you read this? Check with your midwife or GP again to confirm what you’ve said. If you’ve had whooping cough yourself you know how horrible it can be - it’s definitely not something you would want a baby to get.

strawberry2017 · 15/04/2020 18:37

Your immunity might last 10 years but I think it's more to do with the vaccine getting to baby to protect them when they are born and I'm assuming that doesn't pass on.
Your GP surgery will be empty, they are only seeing urgent cases and maternity appointments at the moment.
Just ask if you can have it done when you visit the midwife next.
I personally had mine and wouldn't risk not having it because it can be very serious in small children.

scaevola · 15/04/2020 18:40

You need to have the stimulus for your body to produce antibodies that then pass to your baby.

That is either contact with the wild disease (not advisable) or by having the vaccine. You cannot pass on the ability to make antibodies, only the antibodies themselves.

You may well be able to get the jab at an appointment that would be F2F anyhow.

Chichz · 15/04/2020 18:42

I rang yesterday to find out what was going on with this, as I couldn't book it in at my 16 week appointment. Lady was great - emailed the doctor and he came in to see me specially at the surgery today! I had to wait outside and, as someone else said, the nurse was also seeing another pregnant woman.

I'd definitely chase it up. Surely it's done for a reason.

Original poster
XylophoneSymphony · 15/04/2020 18:52

I just wasn’t sure as had it only 2 years ago, ill double check as the midwife I saw who mentioned it previously didn’t seem to want to discuss anything properly she was even saying I needed a flu jab whilst pregnant even though I had one this flu season (in oct last year) and she was saying I wasn’t pregnant at that point so needed it again
I have a 28 w appt I can ask at then as it says 16-32 weeks for wc vaccination so it will still be in time s

OP posts:
strawberry2017 · 15/04/2020 18:55

Flu jabs only last 3 months before in theory they should be topped up.
Have what they tell you to have. It's for the baby not you.
By the time flu season comes around they won't be offered anything until they are 2 so it helps protect your baby in the mean time.

Original poster
XylophoneSymphony · 15/04/2020 19:04

So if I had a flu jab in October and got pregnant December I should have another flu jab ? I had no idea

OP posts:
Original poster
XylophoneSymphony · 15/04/2020 19:04

I get one every year and will be breastfeeding will that not pass on immunity

OP posts:
Amanduh · 15/04/2020 19:16

Whooping cough kills babies and causes brain damage. It’s very serious. You need it in every pregnancy to pass on immunity. Breastfeeding doesn’t pass on immunity.

FriedasCarLoad · 15/04/2020 19:18

I was at the hospital today and checked if I needed one - I was vaccinated in my first pregnancy, less than 2 years ago. Yep, every pregnancy. Better safe than sorry.

MostlyAmbridgeandcoffee · 15/04/2020 19:18

Yes you need another whooping cough vaccine

4amWitchingHour · 15/04/2020 19:19

I don't think that's right @strawberry2017 - the flu jab is for a given flu season, they identify the most likely strain for that winter and vaccinate against it - it's for a different flu each year as the virus mutates rapidly which is why you need a new one each year, you wouldn't need the same one again within the same season... NHS website says if you have the jab when pregnant is does pass on immunity to the baby for that specific flu strain for that season, but it's primarily for the woman.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/flu-jab-vaccine-pregnant/

Whooping cough vaccine looks like it is for the baby, so you do need that every pregnancy

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/whooping-cough-vaccination-pregnant/

cptartapp · 15/04/2020 19:26

Practice nurse here. The flu vaccine season ended at the end of March, we are not doing them routinely now.
Still doing whooping cough vaccinations for pregnant women though. It's one vaccine per pregnancy so you do need it.

N12345625 · 15/04/2020 19:27

I had my daughter in July (so had the whooping cough vaccine in March) and am now pregnant again. I have been told that I need to have the whopping cough vaccine and the flu vaccine again. I am having it done whilst at my 20 week scan at the hospital.
Like a previous post said, you need the vaccine to produce the antibodies to pass to your baby.

sel2223 · 15/04/2020 19:31

Sorry to jump on this post but when is every one having the whooping cough vaccination? The midwife said at 16 weeks that she'd give me it at the 25 week appointment but now it looks like that might be a telephone appointment.
I'm 23 weeks so already had my 20 week scan.

strawberry2017 · 15/04/2020 19:49

Our chief nurse at work told me that information and I have no reason not to believe her.
I get it's only for the flu's of that season but we were discussing why the jabs had arrived so late at work this year and she was telling me that it was actually better for us that they had as if you have them too early your immunity lowers and the in reality for the elderly if they have their jab right at the start of flu season then really they should have a second dose to boost there immunity for the end of the flu season.
I do know that when I enquired with the doctor about my DD having one at the start of winter they said they wouldn't do it because she wasn't 2 in the August and she would be eligible this year instead.
Only going on what I've experienced- I'm not a HCP.

scaevola · 15/04/2020 20:07

sel2223

It takes a couple of weeks for you to produce enough antibodies and for them to cross to your baby. So you need the jab well before your due date, to allow for possibility of the baby turning up early. It's really unlikely matter if you have it a bit later than 25 weeks. Might be worth ringing your MW to ask when you will next be having a F2F appointment and if you can safely leave your jab until then

Chichz · 15/04/2020 21:30

@sel2223 That's exactly why I chased this up - I've also had my 20-week scan already and am pretty sure the 25-week midwife app is going to end up being over the phone!

The result was that my doctor booked me in for it with him directly.

Definitely call.

EL1984 · 15/04/2020 21:49

I'm 24 weeks pregnant and went and got my flu and Whoping cough vaccines last week at the GP. They were spacing out the appointments so no other patients in the clinic at the same time.

I wasn't really paying attention as it wasn't that relevant for me but fairly sure the nurse said I'd need to get the Whoping cough vaccine with each subsequent pregnancy.
She also said I probably didn't need the flu vaccination as it was the end of the season but gave it to me anyway as there is no harm

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 15/04/2020 21:54

@scaevola I had mine at 33 weeks and was told by my midwife it's fine to have it at any point until the end of pregnancy, of course the end may be whenever if the baby arrives early... They usually recommend 25-32.

@sel2223 As above, at 33 weeks, becaus emy midwife forgot to book me for one and I had to ring them to ask about it.

Moongirl10 · 15/04/2020 22:47

I had mine at 31 weeks.

scaevola · 16/04/2020 09:47

Yes, it is safe to have at any point, and late is better than never.

There might be time for some antibodies to form and to cross, even in less than 2 weeks. But better not to rely on hopes you're an outlier and can pass some protection to you baby on atypical timings; so do not leave it until the last weeks of normal term of pregnancy.

I'd start pressing at about 30 weeks if it's not done or definitely booked to be done shortly

PlanDeRaccordement · 16/04/2020 09:52

Yes you need the whooping cough vaccine.
They were not doing them when I was pregnant. At the time, they thought the initial vaccination was enough. But then there were outbreaks of whooping cough in infants. And the infants had caught it usually from their mothers. That’s when they decided to do top up vaccines during pregnancy. Many immunities are passed through the placenta and last the first few months after the baby is born. The whooping cough top up ensures that happens so your baby is protected until they are old enough to be vaccinated themselves.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 16/04/2020 10:01

I’ve got my whooping cough booked in for this Monday. I’ll be 18+2. When I went for my 16w appointment, I was sat in the surgery by myself. The only people who came in were picking up prescriptions.

Please don’t put off the vaccination. It’s really important.

PlanDeRaccordement · 16/04/2020 10:09

Here is a medical fact sheet
vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/pertussis-whooping-cough

And a video on why you need it in pregnancy
“In 2012 the UK experienced a nationwide outbreak (epidemic) of pertussis (whooping cough), a highly infectious disease that can cause serious complications including death, especially in young babies. In 2012 there were over 9,300 cases in England alone – more than ten times as many as in recent years. The causes of this are not clear. In the years since 2012 there has been a fall in cases, but numbers are still high compared to the years before the 2012 epidemic (see the graph at the bottom of this section). 14 babies under three months old died of pertussis in 2012, and another 18 died between 2013 and 2016. There were no deaths from pertussis in 2017, and no deaths in the first nine months of 2018. Babies under three months of age are most vulnerable to severe disease.
Vaccination of mothers can protect babies from pertussis. In the UK, a temporary programme began in October 2012 to offer pertussis vaccination to pregnant women. In July 2014 it was recommended that this programme should continue for at least 5 more years, owing to continuing high levels of pertussis in the UK. A similar programme is now offered in the US, Australia, and some other European countries. Around 70% of pregnant women in England currently receive the whooping cough vaccine. Out of the 18 babies who have died of pertussis since the start of 2013, 16 were born to mothers who had not been vaccinated against pertussis.
In this film, experts talk about why it is important for pregnant women to be vaccinated against pertussis. Since the film was made the UK government advice has changed. Pregnant women can now be vaccinated any time after 16 weeks of pregnancy (rather than just in the third trimester). Pregnant women will usually be told about the vaccine at their routine 20-week scan.”
vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/pertussis-vaccine-in-pregnancy