Whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy

toothndnail4u

I've been recommended this vaccine by my gp after my 28th of pregnancy. There's a lot of conflicting info online. Has anyone received the vaccine in their pregnancy recently or at all? Jut wondering should I get it. I'm in two mind. I had whooping cough as a child, so am I immuned? And do I pass on that immunity to my child through breastfeeding?

annoyedgal

I had it at week 37, left it quite late as my GP wanted to get a few opinions on it before administering it. He consulted with another doc who is an expert in vaccines and he was convinced after that!
Can't answer the other questions as don't know but whopping cough can be dangerous for small babies so if you don't get it limit your babies exposure to people with coughs. My GP said lots of adults have it without knowing, they just think it's a very bad cough/chest infection.

LegacyUser

annoyedgal wrote: »

I had it at week 37, left it quite late as my GP wanted to get a few opinions on it before administering it. He consulted with another doc who is an expert in vaccines and he was convinced after that!
Can't answer the other questions as don't know but whopping cough can be dangerous for small babies so if you don't get it limit your babies exposure to people with coughs. My GP said lots of adults have it without knowing, they just think it's a very bad cough/chest infection.

Did you have any side effects? Have you given birth yet?

toothndnail4u

annoyedgal wrote: »

I had it at week 37, left it quite late as my GP wanted to get a few opinions on it before administering it. He consulted with another doc who is an expert in vaccines and he was convinced after that!
Can't answer the other questions as don't know but whopping cough can be dangerous for small babies so if you don't get it limit your babies exposure to people with coughs. My GP said lots of adults have it without knowing, they just think it's a very bad cough/chest infection.

Did it go ok for you? Any side affects? Have you given birth yet?

Kathy22

I was the same as you rather cautious about it. My consultant and the midwives in the hospital recommended it but my GP was not very keen to administer it. I had to get a letter from my consultant to get it from my GP as he did not want to have the responsibility which made me really nervous. I ended up getting it yesterday at 38+3 which is rather late but based on all my research, speaking to people etc. I came to the conclusion it was the best option. The communication of it is really bad, there is conflicting information between the hospital and some GPs and no leaflets available in the hospital on it. I just wish there was a straightforward viewpoint and information source rather than having to go digging!

TheIronyMaiden

I got the whooping cough vaccine when I was about 29 weeks pregnant. No issues afterwards (apart from a sore arm but that was the same after I got the flu vaccine too). I had my little one 5 weeks ago and all good so far!
I was like you, confused by the conflicting opinions, but my reasoning for getting it was the same for getting the flu vaccine - I didn't feel comfortable not getting it and leaving things to chance.

Penny Dreadful

I got the vaccine at 30 weeks and had no side effects what so ever. I had to get it as I have an auto immune condition and the treatment I was on for it through most of my pregnancy meant that there was a risk the baby's immunity might be compromised for several weeks post delivery. The vaccine would cross the placenta and so immunise both me and the baby.
I've had no regrets or concerns about getting it at all. It wouldn't be recommended if it wasn't safe tbh.

annoyedgal

I had sore itchy arm at the injection site for a few days, otherwise fine. Had baby since and no issues. It's given to pregnant women as standard in the UK and once my GP got on board he said it would adopted as policy in their clinic. Think as someone else said theres a breakdown in communication between hospitals and GPs. I did have to pay 30 for it, not sure if that was administration fee or vaccine cost .

Coopaloop

I got it on both my pregnancies and I have two happy, healthy children,one is two and a half and a 5 month baby, doctor really pushed it as a precaution, said it was more important than the flu vaccine which only protects mother,the whooping vaccine makes your baby immune so that sold me. No side effects apart from a killer sore arm after.
I had whooping cough as a child and I wouldn't wish it on anyone,I was 8 and I still remember it to this day, I missed 2 months of school with it, awful fits of coughing,not being able to breath or lay down flat to sleep at night.

rainbow kirby

Got mine at 30 weeks - no side effects at all. It's standard here, and any extra protection that I could give my son is worth it.

mickoneill31

My missus got it a few weeks ago. She was saying her arm was sore after it. That's about it. The baby isn't due for another two weeks but so far everything is great.

Merkin

It's given as standard in the UK. I had no side effects and it's definitely something I'd recommend to all pregnant ladies as whooping cough in small bubbas can be life threatening.

theLuggage

I got it in my third trimester - can't remember how far along. Baba is nearly 8 months and doing fine. The risk of them catching whooping cough and the dangers associated were enough for me.

pc7

My consultant is my age with two young children, I asked her did she get it herself, she didn't. She felt with good hygiene and asking people not to visit if sick could be enough to protect the baby. I didn't get it based on this on my last pregnancy and babs thankfully was fine. Didn't get so much as a sniffle until starting creche at 10 months. I won't get it on this pregnancy either.

Dobbit

Got it at 33 weeks, no problems. Healthy 9 month old now.

Leogirl

Got it at 30 something weeks. Happy healthy 7.5 mth old now.

Lucuma

I got it and have a nearly 2 week old baby now with no issues so far. My arm was really sore after it as well, that's the tetanus part of the 3-in-1 my GP said (there's no designated WC vaccine so they give us the 3-in-1)

Flutterby80

I got it last week when I was 30 weeks, no side effects so far and my arm wasn't even sore after it. I asked my doctor if he felt it was necessary and he recommended that I get it so after a bit of reading up I decided to go ahead with it.

livinsane

Got it during my last pregnancy (he is 2y7m now) and I'll get it again for this pregnancy as both are October babies. I didn't experience any side effects.
Totally understand how it is daunting making these decisions while pregnant. I gave it good thought and based my choice on the fact that there were no recorded cases of the vaccine having ill effects on the child but there were cases that year of infants in Ireland and the UK dying from whooping cough or being seriously ill so it was a threat.

PhoenixParker

Has anyone had a problem with their GP refusing to give the vaccine?
If so what did you do?

I'm waiting on the hospital to call back and they may be able to sort something but they said they don't generally do it.
I spoke to another local GP too and they won't do it unless I'm a patient.
I do plan to change GPs once babs arrives, I'd do it now, but the other local GP I spoke to doesn't have space right now and won't until September. (They're the ones I want to transfer to if possible).

Lucyfur

PhoenixParker wrote: »

Has anyone had a problem with their GP refusing to give the vaccine?
If so what did you do?

I'm waiting on the hospital to call back and they may be able to sort something but they said they don't generally do it.
I spoke to another local GP too and they won't do it unless I'm a patient.
I do plan to change GPs once babs arrives, I'd do it now, but the other local GP I spoke to doesn't have space right now and won't until September. (They're the ones I want to transfer to if possible).

Wow, what's their reasoning? I was due mine today but it's been push back a week as I'm sick with a high temp. So only not getting it today so I don't feel worse than I already do.

PhoenixParker

Lucyfur wrote: »

Wow, what's their reasoning? I was due mine today but it's been push back a week as I'm sick with a high temp. So only not getting it today so I don't feel worse than I already do.

That was my reaction too.

Apparently she doesn't like giving vaccines to pregnant women. I had planned to change anyway as I haven't been happy with the practice in a while but this has more then cemented my decision.

Lucyfur

PhoenixParker wrote: »

That was my reaction too.

Apparently she doesn't like giving vaccines to pregnant women. I had planned to change anyway as I haven't been happy with the practice in a while but this has more then cemented my decision.

I would also move if that was me! My doc is the opposite. He spoke at length about the benefits of it and the antibodies you pass onto your baby. I wonder do boots do the vaccine? The do flu jabs so it might be worth inquiring?

s4uv3

Lucyfur wrote: »

I would also move if that was me! My doc is the opposite. He spoke at length about the benefits of it and the antibodies you pass onto your baby. I wonder do boots do the vaccine? The do flu jabs so it might be worth inquiring?

Nope, flu jab only in pharmacies at the min.
Phoenix I'd say your best bet now is to ask the hosp to do it as you've done already. Bad form of your gp to just refuse it like that

PhoenixParker

I've actually just written a letter to the HSE asking them to investigate.
No way that a practice should be receiving money for maternity visits and not offering the basic vaccines.

stickybean

Do you have to notify your GP in advance of going to see them? Or do they have a stock of the vaccine there?

s4uv3

stickybean wrote: »

Do you have to notify your GP in advance of going to see them? Or do they have a stock of the vaccine there?

I'd say some gp's have a stock, but you're probably best off to phone ahead just to make sure they have one for you

LirW

Another question: I had my shots refreshed around a year ago, it was a combinated vaccine including whooping cough. (Wasn't in Ireland)
Does that mean I'd be better off doing it again when the time comes?
Sorry it just got me confused because where I come from they don't vaccinate pregnant women unless there are severe cases of flu or rubella in your close environment.

Gatica

I got given the whooping cough, flu and some other vaccine leaflets at the booking visit.
On my subsequent GP visit she'd a serious chat with me saying that currently the whooping cough vaccine's being "pushed"/recommended to pregnant women because it's recently made a come back and can be fatal to babies. It's administered after week 32 (I think, if I remember correctly, so I'll be getting it on my next visit there) for each pregnancy as immunity is not passed otherwise between pregnancies.
Check with your doc, but that's the info I got. Whether baby's protected if you've had vaccine before pregnancy, I dunno, but it seemed to me like it's gotta be given at that stage of pregnancy to protect the baby in that pregnancy for their first 3 months of life before they get their own vaccines, but that's just my take on what she said. Like I said, check with your own gp or hospital.

Merkin

Quick question ladies. For my first pregnancy I lived in the UK so I'm not sure of process here. On this pregnancy I'm attending Holles Street as a private patient. Do I pay my GP for the whooping cough vaccine or is it given as standard and is it free like immunisations? And what about flu vaccine in pregnancy? Thanks in advance.

pooch90

You are meant to get both flu and WC, you have to pay for both. Think the flu was €25, not sure about WC think about the same.