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CarrieMum 
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Joined: 08 May 2008
Location: Hamilton
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 Topic: Whooping cough vaccine while pregnant?
Posted: 22 April 2013 at 11:00am |
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Hi guys,
Just wondering how many of you had the whooping cough vaccine while pregnant?
Im 33 weeks along and thinking of getting it done as I like the idea of giving the baby some protection before they can start their own vaccines at 6 weeks old.
I don't like taking any medications or vaccines while pregnant so Im a bit uneasy about that but I feel with an outbreak in our region that I'd be a bit irresponsible not to try my best to protect baby from it. I've done a bit of research and its not a live vaccine so that's good.
I'll have to be out and about a lot with this baby from quite early on as my DS is 4 years old and attends kindy, swimming etc so its not like I can stay at home much early on to keep baby safe.
Also my SIL has chosen not to vaccinate her child, he is 1 year old. Should I limit his contact with my newborn baby until my baby has commenced her vaccination schedule or is that a bit over the top?
Thanks guys.
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ginger22
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Joined: 24 July 2012
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Posted: 22 April 2013 at 11:12am |
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Hi CarrieMum,
I stumbled across this in 'recent posts'. I very much wanted to get the whooping cough vaccine while I was pregnant, but unfortunately was ill the week I was supposed too. I then also had my baby prematurely, so there was no time.
We chose to keep our baby (granted he was prem) away from all children until imms started. I do not know whether un-vaccinated children have a higher rate of carrying illnesses or not so no help there.
However, my opinion would be...they made the choice not to vaccinate.
You have the right to choose how to protect you babe
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Pitter patter
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Posted: 22 April 2013 at 3:14pm |
Hi Carriemum, This has been a big topic of interest with friends around here too since the outbreak started. I have done some reading and the vaccine has not been tested on pregnant woman and they have no idea whether it passes on any immunity to the newborn baby (datasheet below, they just hope it does pass on immunity but have no idea if it actually does). They want pregnant woman to have it b4 35 weeks so she is immune to it when the baby is born (so won't pass it on when baby born).There was a really sad case here where a dad had a bit of a cold, was told it was nothing only to pass whooping cough onto a newborn-the baby is still in hospital. I personally would ensure that the dad, grandparents etc got the booster and then I'd get it soon after baby born or ideally before pregnant (I better get onto that!). You need to pay for it if not pregnant but I think it is worth it during the outbreak. Also ensure any older sibling is up to date with shots, a friends vaccinated 3 year old got whooping cough as it seems to wear off over time, he would have had a booster at 4 years. http://www.immune.org.nz/sites/default/files/factsheets/GSK,%20Boostrix%20packaging%20change%20Jan%202013.pdfI would try to keep a newborn away from anyone who is even slightly sick, vaccinated or not. Such hard decisions, good luck with what ever you choose
Edited by mumma2 one - 23 April 2013 at 12:34pm
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jessm
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Posted: 26 April 2013 at 9:39am |
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I too have been looking into this. I felt, like mumma2one said, that the research didn't show that the vaccine actually did any good for newborn babies if the mum was immunised while pregnant, and there was no proof that it was safe (they are just assuming it is because similar vaccines seem to be okay). I'm not anti-immunisations, my daughter is up to date, but I don't see the point in having something just for the sake of it. My MW agreed with me - apparently there has been a huge push by the government for every MW to get every one of their women vaccinated, but she felt that the research just wasn't there. However, in my due group everyone else is very pro vacc and I'm feeling guilty for the decision I have made, so now I'm going over it all again!
Do be aware though, that babies are not protected until after they've had their 3rd vacc at 5mths, so if you are planning to make sure that people stay away from your baby, don't assume that they will be okay once they've had their 6wk vacc. Also, the vaccine only seroconverts in about 85% of people, which means that for the other 15% it does absolutely nothing and will give them no protection. So being vaccinated does not automatically mean you (or whoever has had it) won't get the disease.
I'm not trying to be scary, I'm just saying that its not all as cut and dried as some people seem to imply, and we can only do what we think is best at the time :)
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Spitfire19
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Posted: 26 April 2013 at 6:16pm |
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As far as I'm aware the vaccine is not to pass immunity onto the baby, but to stop you from getting it from where ever and passing it on that way. Whooping cough is usually not as severe in adults as in children (especially .
babies).
My BIL requested that we get the vaccine to protect his daughter (their MW only told them about all this about 3 weeks after their daughters birth, but I'm pretty sure it was made free for pregnant women a few weeks before then) so we went 50/50 with him on the cost of it (not currently pregnant).
I find that a lot of the time vaccination has more to do with protecting those around you that can't be immunised, as much as it is about protecting yourself.
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Pitter patter
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Posted: 26 April 2013 at 11:06pm |
Hi guys, Yeah I agree Jessm and Spitfire, not against immunisations just a bit suspect on this one in pregnancy since it hasn't been tested. Spitfire medical professionals I have spoken to say they don't know it it passes on immunity to the baby but pregnant woman are being told it does http://www.immune.org.nz/taxonomy/term/8 see info under canterbury free booster. Interesting in this link re Aussie research about the old vaccine (the live one) being more effective but they say the new vaccine is not as effective perhaps because there are new strains around. This is what pregnant women are being told: Spitfire there is a real epidemic where I live-it is everywhere, I agree with you that boosters for people close to newborns is a very good idea-I just read this refered to as "cocooning" which I thought was a nice way of putting it
Edited by mumma2 one - 26 April 2013 at 11:34pm
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Spitfire19
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Posted: 27 April 2013 at 8:13am |
That's interesting as I was never told that, by the Dr, or when I looked at the Glaxo Smith Kline website, the producers of Boostrix (which can be found here) It's all about stopping the people close to the young child from getting it and passing it on. So I guess as long as you think of the vaccine this way, as oppossed to passing on immunity, you shall be fine :-) All of those websites say that "some" protection is passed on to the baby, and the length of it's effectiveness varies from case to case, so basically they are covering their butts on whether it will actually pass on to your baby or not (I would always work with the "or not" scenario)
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Hopes
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Posted: 27 April 2013 at 4:05pm |
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I've always been of the same understanding as you guys - you're not getting it to prevent the baby getting whooping cough directly, you'd get it to prevent YOU from getting whooping cough and giving it to the baby.
My main concern is how long it's been given to pregnant women. I need to do more research - just haven't found the time yet - but if it's relatively new I'm cautious about getting it, I don't want to risk being a guinea pig.
On the other hand, I'm relatively keen for my DH to get it, although I've only suggested it to him as I think it's really his choice. He can't risk harming the baby by having it as he's not the one pregnant, and if it reduces his chances of catching whooping cough and passing it on (which I understand it does, even if only to a degree) it sounds like a good idea.
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Pitter patter
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Posted: 27 April 2013 at 8:11pm |
Hi Hopes I think asking DH to get it is what i'd do-the case here where the newborn got it from the dad is so sad-the mum had had the vacine while pregnant as recommended. I think it depends a bit where you live eh and whether there is an outbreak. Hopes it has only been given to pregnant woman in NZ since 2012 9I think), in the US they decided to recommend its use in 2011, that information is what they are basing the recommendations here on. I found that info and will past a link below. Admit I had to read it a few times before I understood it! The three things i found interesting were-they have done a study looking at the cord blood of newborns and more of the mother whooping cough antibodies were found in the babies whose mothers had had been immunised than those who hadn't. They don't however know if the mothers antibodies has an impact on the newborn having an immune response itself (it may it may not). While this specific booster hasn't been tested in pregnant woman(Tdap) they have looked at data of a small number of woman and all seems ok. The tetnus and tetnus and diptheria (TT and Td) have been used on pregnant woman for along time and seems safe-these are also non live vacines. So it probably is safe but for me not enough is known but that is a personal decision. The thing i found really interesting was the reference to "blunting"-studies have shown that babies whose mothers have the booster during pregnancy may not have such a good immune response to their infant immunisations-so perhaps better protection early on but it says a higher chance of death from whooping cough when over 3 months-why the heck arn't pregnant woman being told this? That for some people would be important to their decision making and it has not been mentioned.
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T_Rex
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Posted: 29 April 2013 at 7:31pm |
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I had it before I got pregnant. It's not something I want to brig home to my baby plus I could do with the tetanus booster. Dh will get it closer to due date. Like hopes I wasn't comfortable with the idea of getting it while preggers so I just put it on my to do list before hand. Did mean I had to pay for it though. I reckon they should fund it for dads too of the aim I to protect newborns
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DeenaMathew149513
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Posted: 11 August 2014 at 9:51pm |
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One cousin had the vaccine during her pregnancy. It is important for women to get the whooping cough vaccine in the third trimester of every pregnancy. It is the best way to prevent this disease
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Whooping cough vaccine while pregnant?
