Why are some people not offered the whopping cough vaccine ?

[kellykelly76]

Hey ladies I've been speaking to a lot of friends who are mums and people who been pregnant recently 2018,2017,2019 and even this year a lot of them have said that they was never offered it which confused me why is this if it's something we all need I'm about to get mine next week.

As far as I know all pregnant women in the uk should be offered it.

I was pregnant in 2017 and was told about it. I think the way that's offered is the problem - the midwife told me about it but then I had to book in separately with the GP practice for the nurse to do it.

Its offered to all pregnant women so it would suprise me greatly to hear you knew so many people who didn't have it.

I'd honestly wonder if some of them are not misremembering. It would be very unusual to know even 1 mother who hadn't had it in the last 5 yearset alone so many.

I was advised to get one, but phoned the GP to book myself and it wasn't followed up. I'm all for self responsibility, but as long as women are told it's recommended- which they may have been even if just in the literature at some point, or said at the end of a check up and slipped through the net.

I was surprised to when they told me my midwife said she can give me the injection I don't have to call the GP

@kellykelly76

I was surprised to when they told me my midwife said she can give me the injection I don't have to call the GP

Mine was done at my 20 week scan as they had a clinic set up whilst we waited for appointments. However when I next saw the midwife she double checked I'd had it and said she was intending on doing it at that appointment if I hadn't.

There was never any mention of booking it with the GP but it was also in my notes saying when it should be given so I'm confident I would have asked about whether I needed to book it had it not been mentioned.

It's called the Pertussis vaccine, maybe they're confused because of the name. Everyone is offered it.

Most places you have to book it yourself. The midwives reminded me at every appointment until I'd had it done, there was a sticker on the front of my notes, I was given a leaflet and there was a space in my notes for the details of it to be written. Not sure they can do much more than that!

I think it's Bec over the years Bec a lot of people have been vaccinated it's not such a big thing anymore that's why I don't think some people are offered until they ask because even me i wasn't offered until I asked my midwife so I know what they are saying is true

With DS2 I had to book myself (2018) with DD it was done after 20
Week scan as part of the appointment. I think they changed it to make sure women didn’t miss by not booking it

I dont think it has anything to do with if you've been vaccinated in the past though, as don't you have to get it in each pregnancy?

If midwives are not telling people they need it then surely it needs to be raised as an issue but I find it hard to believe its never been mentioned at all?

It’s a tricky one nationally due to the contracts of who administers the vaccinations.
Most community midwives work across different GP surgeries so they don’t have access to the GP stock, currently in our area the contract to administer the vaccine is held by primary care (the GP surgery) for this reason.
There is a shift in some areas that the vaccine will be given at the 20w scan, so moving the contract from primary to secondary care, which makes it easier to get a higher uptake of vaccination as women aren’t then having to remember to book/free up time/etc to arrange it.

@LittleMissLockdown it’s recommended that a woman has a dose of the pertussis vaccination in each pregnancy so that the foetus gets a boost of antibodies, it increases the protection for when the child is born.

But even though when you and baby are protected by the vaccine everyone else in the house hold like your partner etc won't get a vaccine so is this still safe for me and baby ?

@MonkeyPuddle

It’s a tricky one nationally due to the contracts of who administers the vaccinations. Most community midwives work across different GP surgeries so they don’t have access to the GP stock, currently in our area the contract to administer the vaccine is held by primary care (the GP surgery) for this reason. There is a shift in some areas that the vaccine will be given at the 20w scan, so moving the contract from primary to secondary care, which makes it easier to get a higher uptake of vaccination as women aren’t then having to remember to book/free up time/etc to arrange it.

This.

All women should be informed about it but due to the fact we can’t give it, the system does rely on a certain level of personal responsibility. (I’m working on the assumption that my colleagues are actually telling women about it!)

I had to book mine myself and my midwife only mentioned it once, this was 2016.

The risks are reduced hugely, but your partner can arrange private vaccination if they wanted to.

@kellykelly76

But even though when you and baby are protected by the vaccine everyone else in the house hold like your partner etc won't get a vaccine so is this still safe for me and baby ?

The vaccine is to provide your baby with some immunity prior to their vaccinations at 8 weeks. It’s safe - it has been given routinely for the last 8 years. There are no known serious risks. You or other members of your household may have been vaccinated in childhood (or a previous pregnancy) but this does not provide protection for baby and it is also known to wear off.

The vaccine gives you and your baby immunity @kellykelly76 so it doesn't matter if anyone else in the household is infected as you can't catch it from them.

I know in my area the way they're doing it has changed. I had to book in with the nurse to coincide with my 24wk appointment to get the injection but the midwife explained that from the following week they would be doing it themselves during the appointment.

I had mine today. Nurse at my GP surgery gave me it and the flu jab in the other arm. I had to book it myself but after reading up on it on the nhs website i made sure I booked it in after my 20 week scan last week as advised by midwife, she wrote in my notes that I was to ring up. She mentioned to me when I saw her at my 16

I was told about it by the midwife at my 16 week appointment (telephone) and I was told I should book in with my GP if it's something I wanted.

I don't know if it's universal but my doctors would not do it until I have the 20 week scan. I had my scan on the Friday and my jab the following Monday. I was also offered the flu jab at the same time too.

I'd ring your GP up and ask to book in.