respiratory syncytial virus RSV Vaccine

[Vhp83]

Been offered this as pregnant but wondering what the take up is as beleive fairly new in this country.
Has anyone had any regrets getting it?

My son got RSV at 9 days old from a friend who had a slight sniffle.
The following 8 days seeing him have various canulas inserted, tube feeding and watching his laboured breathing and oxygen levels drop to scary levels are among some of the worst days of my parenting (now a healthy 21 yo)
Have the vaccine if you can.

Do you mind me asking re the chicken pox vaccine - had you had chicken pox before ? Does it get passed on to the baby?

@IMBCRound2
I have never had chicken pox and didn't even know there was a vaccine. It's definitely not something that's been offered to me during pregnancy.

I had it in the past so I wasn’t going to have the vaccine but if it will pass on to the baby I’d definitely prefer to have it myself and then pass it on. Unfortunately it’s about £150 so it’s not cheap! Although it would keep them safe and I’d probably lose more taking the time off work/nursery if they got sick.

I had the chickenpox vaccine before I got pregnant, about two years before. I don’t think the chickenpox vaccine is eligible for pregnant women because it’s a live vaccine. I probably didn’t have chickenpox as a child. I had a bit of a rash, but my mum was told it may or may not be chickenpox and I so I assumed not and decided to get vaccinated. I assume the immunity I developed won’t pass to the baby, outside of what normally happens if I can breastfeed.

You can't have the chicken pox vaccine while pregnant, but if you haven't had chicken pox and are looking at getting pregnant it's worth paying for as chicken pox is very dangerous for unborn babies.

I'm in 2 minds!
I'm by no means an anti-vaxxer (had my COVID jabs as soon as offered, had the whooping cough vaccine whilst pregnant etc). I'm just worried about how new this is.. To only test on 100,000 women in the US and 4,000 women in the UK feels awfully small - and for it to be only available for the last 6 weeks? I just worry about the potential long term implications for baby that are just totally unknown yet and won't come out (if any) for a while..

But I completely understand the argument everyone else makes about how poorly babies can get if they get RSV! It's been really popular in my area (takes weeks to get an appointment) though! I've booked an appointment but still doing research about it!

@DinoGD you don't need to do research, that's been done for you and has resulted in it being recommended and funded by an organisation which has no agenda other than to keep you well. It wouldn't be available if it wasn't worth having. Spreading of misinformation is one of the biggest drivers of vaccine hesitancy.

I would definitely get this vaccine if I could. I spent a week in hospital with my then 4 week old son. I shudder to think what would have happened if I didn't take his temp the night we ended up in hospital. We ended up getting referred to a cardiologist for a heart issue all caused by rsv.

I’ve had chicken pox when I was little so I think I’m fine - it was more that I was hoping I could take the needle so my little one didn’t have to…. I know it’s only a few seconds of upset but still- rather me than them!

I am also on east of England like @Squeezetheday and was advised to have all 4 vaccinations. Flu, whooping, rsv and covid. I have had 3 and I am not going for the covid one.

Midwife said that the 3 are essential ans if baby catches any then it can be severe. Small babies just can't cope with respiratory infection they are just to small and the outcome can be severe.
That is enough for me to have it to try and prevent my baby from being that sick.

@Vhp83 you have to do solely what you feel is right for you and your baby. As already advise just read up on it, - legitimate scientific papers of course and go with what you feel xxx ps I was lucky and have has been mild side effects from all too. Just to let you know xx

You do know that the covid vaccine was tested on less people in clinical trials than that and only initially had temporary regulatory approval…you could argue that’s still really new but you admit you had it as soon as it was available. The NHS will have recommended for the RSV vaccine to be given within the last 6 weeks of pregnancy to ensure peak protection once the baby is born and up to a certain age in infancy. There isn’t any conspiracy or agenda behind their logic as @SErunner has said

Ahh I see! Babies can have the chicken pox vaccine from nine months and both of my kids have found it one of the better vaccines. My 9mo didn't even cry when they did it! So much better than a super uncomfortable nasty illness.

Thanks! I don't think for a minute there is a conspiracy at all. It was one thing getting a new vaccine that just impacted me (no baby at the time) but it feels very different getting a new jab that is specifically for my baby that isn't even born yet, that is still incredibly new, has a very small testing pool and hasn't been around long enough for us to see what potential implications there may be for the baby. NHS get things wrong all the time, I'm not saying this is one of them, but it all feels very new and uncertain which is why I'm still considering it

I got the RSV vaccine on the 2nd day it came out at 39+4 pregnant. Had baby 2 days later. I doubt he got any immunity, but even if stops me getting it and passing it to him, it's better than nothing.
I say this currently in bed, wiped out by an cold/cough, wishing all illnesses had vaccines!

I think it's sensible to do your own research into these things - especially when it's as new as this and it's for your baby.

I don't think there is an agenda at all, I'm not a conspiracy theorist or anything like that, but I can still have reservations about something so new for my baby who isn't even born yet. It's also not 'spreading misinformation' to at least be aware that it has been done on a relatively small sample size, so I understand any reservations.

That doesn't mean women shouldn't get it done, and it doesn't mean I won't, but it's still something to cause a bit of a pause and to take into account, that's all.

Unless you have been trained in scientific methods you are unlikely to have the critical thinking skills to assess whether a trial has been designed and conducted well. A trial can be small, well designed and yield conclusive results.

You can read all the PubMed you like, it doesn’t make you a scientist.

No, but I do think it's sensible to read the published articles that are readily available for this very reason (rather than just reading the 2 paragraphs provided on a leaflet IF you're unsure about something). Goes to anything medical - operations, medications etc

Interesting, it seems you can get the rsv vaccine in the UK as a pregnant woman. I haven't been offered it here in Ireland, but this is the first year they are doing the rollout of rsv vaccine for newborn babies. My midwife gave me a leaflet and said if I decide to go for it, the baby will be given it after birth and that it's standard procedure in a lot of other countries. I'm going to go for it as my baby will be a winter baby and I've heard horrible things about babies who end up in hospital with rsv, wouldn't want to deal with the stress of seeing my baby in that condition.

And apart from the vaccines, it's good to start educating family members about good hand hygiene etc for when baby is born. The simplest things such as washing our hands and not visiting a baby if you feel sick, is a huge help. Unfortunately, lots of people just don't have the common sense to do this and need to be reminded.

I'll get it and the flu one but won't get the covid one. Didn't in my last pregnancy

I’ll be blunt. People like to think they know something. Especially stupid people.

In my experience there is a direct link between people who think they know there’s a vaccine conspiracy, and their IQ. And the lower the IQ, the more they shout about ‘waking up’. And the more likely that their ‘research’ is some fanny on YouTube who is a doctor of rocks.

It depends what research you are doing.

Are you scientifically trained and analysing the ingredients, any known interactions, clinical trials, development history, history of the vaccine, vaccines in the same family and their clinical trials? Referring to medical journals and published medical findings? Probably qualifies as proper research.

Are you using google or YouTube? Asking your mates? Following Dr Johnny Bananas on Twitter? Reading some flyer that got shoved through your door? Not research.

I would have no hesitation in getting this, having watched my newborn catch RSV off his older brother and be critically ill with it in hospital. Turned into bacterial pneumonia and had 2nd line antibiotics and treatment as the first line options didn't work.

I disagree to an extent - even coming on Mumsnet to get some real life experiences is helpful forms of research (like hearing the harrowing stories to put things into perspective).

But yes to your question above! Reviewing medical journals/publications, reviewing the stats from this trial in the US and UK, speaking to other doctors/midwives etc. I don't think you need a background in medicine / science to be able to review these journals and at least gain a wider awareness (rather than just relying on the 2 paragraph leaflet thats given to you if it's not something you're 100% sure on).

Not consulting Dr Google or the crap that gets circulated on YouTube/TikTok - totally agree that's a load of old rubbish and definitely doesn't constitute as research!