Anybody undecided about getting the whooping cough vaccine?

[sheldonsmommy]

Marinewag- The flu is a very dangerous disease for little babies and the elderly. For babies and young children, fevers can run very high and be dangerous to their brain. They get extremely lethargic and can very easily get dehydrated.

Parents and caretakers of young children should be vaccinated to prevent getting sick and spreading it. Many diseases make the host (the human) contagious even before they have symptoms, so avoiding the illness in adults is especially important.

 

[mhk425]

Thank you mhk425, I certainly don't think you're talking out your ass lol. It's very different over here under our healthcare system so as Becki said we don't have boosters and our partners wouldn't be offered whooping cough, they wouldn't even be offered flu, the flu jab is only offered to "vulnerable" people and children have only just come under that, which is why I am not so sold on the idea just because it's not something we would usually do.

Wow! That's interesting how different things are around the world. The flu vaccine is available to everyone here, however it is most encouraged for the very young, the very old, people who are immunocompromised, or people who will be around people in those categories a lot. Like I said, I typically don't get it mainly due to the fact that the strain they use for the vaccine could be completely different from the strain that actually causes the disease during a certain season. That flu virus mutates so quickly! And, to be honest, I'm a complete wimp when it comes to needles! (Yeah, gestational diabetes has been greeeeaatt for me. I just love pricking my finger 4 times a day and injecting insulin every night. )

 

[Pearls18]

The flu is a very dangerous disease for little babies and the elderly. For babies and young children, fevers can run very high and be dangerous to their brain. They get extremely lethargic and can very easily get dehydrated.

Parents and caretakers of young children should be vaccinated to prevent getting sick and spreading it. Many diseases make the host (the human) contagious even before they have symptoms, so avoiding the illness in adults is especially important.

As I say we don't do flu vaccines as a matter of routine, adults are not offered the flu jab, only the elderly and people with certain medical conditions are, as I just stated children are a new addition. We seem to be doing ok in the UK, I have no doubt if babies were being affected by flu they would be increasing the flu programme, just as they have done with whooping cough, so I don't think what you're saying is a concern in the UK. Can't say I have ever personally heard of a baby getting flu. As I say I have never had flu in the UK before, flu isn't something people in my family get I know sounds strange but I wonder if it just isn't as prevalent here as I only got it in the US! I personally prefer to fight things such as flu myself, and am not concerned about my baby getting flu, my MW didn't push for me to have it either, she said she never got flu vaccines (and she works with babies obviously).

 

[Pearls18]

Thank you mhk425, I certainly don't think you're talking out your ass lol. It's very different over here under our healthcare system so as Becki said we don't have boosters and our partners wouldn't be offered whooping cough, they wouldn't even be offered flu, the flu jab is only offered to "vulnerable" people and children have only just come under that, which is why I am not so sold on the idea just because it's not something we would usually do.

Wow! That's interesting how different things are around the world. The flu vaccine is available to everyone here, however it is most encouraged for the very young, the very old, people who are immunocompromised, or people who will be around people in those categories a lot. Like I said, I typically don't get it mainly due to the fact that the strain they use for the vaccine could be completely different from the strain that actually causes the disease during a certain season. That flu virus mutates so quickly! And, to be honest, I'm a complete wimp when it comes to needles! (Yeah, gestational diabetes has been greeeeaatt for me. I just love pricking my finger 4 times a day and injecting insulin every night. )

Oh no GD much be horrid I would be interested to know why the flu jab is being offered to pregnant women this time here as I wasn't offered it last time, however I was pregnant dec-sep last time so maybe that isn't such a risky time, maybe they give it to women in their third trimesters over winter?

 

[sheldonsmommy]

The flu is a very dangerous disease for little babies and the elderly. For babies and young children, fevers can run very high and be dangerous to their brain. They get extremely lethargic and can very easily get dehydrated.

Parents and caretakers of young children should be vaccinated to prevent getting sick and spreading it. Many diseases make the host (the human) contagious even before they have symptoms, so avoiding the illness in adults is especially important.

As I say we don't do flu vaccines as a matter of routine, adults are not offered the flu jab, only the elderly and people with certain medical conditions are, as I just stated children are a new addition. We seem to be doing ok in the UK, I have no doubt if babies were being affected by flu they would be increasing the flu programme, just as they have done with whooping cough, so I don't think what you're saying is a concern in the UK. Can't say I have ever personally heard of a baby getting flu. As I say I have never had flu in the UK before, flu isn't something people in my family get I know sounds strange but I wonder if it just isn't as prevalent here as I only got it in the US! I personally prefer to fight things such as flu myself, and am not concerned about my baby getting flu, my MW didn't push for me to have it either, she said she never got flu vaccines (and she works with babies obviously).

https://m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13523971

This is a little old, but says something a little different that what you said. It seems they are trying to increase their vaccination rate, but are running out. Maybe that's why it was never offered to you?

It also stated that many people affected were not part of the elderly population in 2011, which is interesting!

 

[Pearls18]

The flu is a very dangerous disease for little babies and the elderly. For babies and young children, fevers can run very high and be dangerous to their brain. They get extremely lethargic and can very easily get dehydrated.

Parents and caretakers of young children should be vaccinated to prevent getting sick and spreading it. Many diseases make the host (the human) contagious even before they have symptoms, so avoiding the illness in adults is especially important.

As I say we don't do flu vaccines as a matter of routine, adults are not offered the flu jab, only the elderly and people with certain medical conditions are, as I just stated children are a new addition. We seem to be doing ok in the UK, I have no doubt if babies were being affected by flu they would be increasing the flu programme, just as they have done with whooping cough, so I don't think what you're saying is a concern in the UK. Can't say I have ever personally heard of a baby getting flu. As I say I have never had flu in the UK before, flu isn't something people in my family get I know sounds strange but I wonder if it just isn't as prevalent here as I only got it in the US! I personally prefer to fight things such as flu myself, and am not concerned about my baby getting flu, my MW didn't push for me to have it either, she said she never got flu vaccines (and she works with babies obviously).

https://m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13523971

This is a little old, but says something a little different that what you said. It seems they are trying to increase their vaccination rate, but are running out. Maybe that's why it was never offered to you?

It also stated that many people affected were not part of the elderly population in 2011, which is interesting!

Thank you, that was interesting to read because it completely goes against what I thought! However reading it, it is because it counted swine flu in its figures, I was indeed offered the swine flu jab (and declined) swine flu was obviously very different that year and did affect much younger people and gives a different kind of result so it's a bit of a separate issue to the general flu jab. As we know there have been some negative side effects from the swine flu jab starting to surface in the media at the moment (although I am sure it saved more lives than it has harmed, I am glad I didn't get it though, I made an informed choice for my circumstances at the time and it was the right one...ah hindsight! )

 

[Becki.S]

Mhk425,
Are u in the USA by any chance? ( can't see I'm on my phone!) As I'm aware the policy there is to encourage the people around baby to have boosters too. I wish they would do the same here on the NHS as no it doesn't provide complete immunity to babies but does help protect them. I asked my nurse whether my hubby could have it also, however she said that no, the nhs are providing the vaccine to protect baby not us as they don't provide it to adults. That's why they are recommending to have it redone at every pregnancy in order to protect baby.
The vaccine covers us which is great but not the purpose of the vaccine from the nhs point of view.

Becki x

Yes, I am in the US. Is there no way to even pay for the vaccine if the NHS doesn't cover it? I know the healthcare system is way different here than it is there. Here, some people's insurance covers the vaccine and some doesn't. However, if yours does not cover it then you can pay to get it. I'm paying for both of my parents to get it...it's $64 each. So it's not super cheap, but I think it's worth them having, especially because this IS an area where it's been found lately.

As far as I know there is no way to pay for the whooping cough vaccine privately, ive been trying to find out, as if there were then I would at least be paying for my hubby and my mum to get it.

As for the flu vaccine the leaflet I've been given was for last year so they were giving it to pregnant women last year but I don't think it's that well advertised/talked about in some areas.
The leaflet I have says that the flu (not the cold as many people refer to themselves having flu but actually just have a cold) is serious and can cause harm to us and baby. Women at ANY stage in pregnancy are at greater risk (our immune systems are repressed) of catching it. Pregnant women are more prone to complications from the flu which can cause serious illness in mother and baby because: lower immunity, lungs get squashed making it harder to breathe deeply leading to increased risk of infections e.g pneumonia which can follow the flu, and swine flu is now seasonal and younger people are at risk of swine flu which pregnant people usually come under. They are advising pregnant women at any stage to have it once the season hits.

That is all from the nhs leaflet I was given (summarised of course).

Becki x

 

[Hope115]

https://www.doublexscience.org/two-moms-talk-pertussis/
Please read this- this is what i see at work- which is what i was talking about if u read my previous post. Be prepared because it is sad but its two mothers stories to spread awareness.

 

[Girly922]

Where I am in the UK there is no way to pay to have the whooping cough vaccine privately so partners and family members wouldn't be able to get it. Vaccines aren't an easy thing to get privately here. However, most pharmacies are offering the flu jab to anyone who wants to pay for it and isn't covered under the vulnerable persons in the nhs. I saw tesco pharmacy offering it for £9 the other day which I thought was good.

 

[Gemie]

I don't go into any vaccine lightly, my kids haven't had every one going, I've researched and they've had the ones I deem necessary. Personally I think kids are over vaccinated and some are unnecessary.

As for me I hate vaccines in pregnancy and never get the flu jab (I'm meant to have it for my weakened immune system with MS) but haven only had it once or twice, it just doesn't sit easy with me.
I thought long and hard about the T-dap vaccine and decided to have it. It's for the baby and not for me for a start. I don't think I would live with myself if my baby got whooping cough and I'd not had the jab. It was one that deep in my heart I knew I needed so I did.
As for the long term effects... Who knows, it's a chance we have to take if we decide to vaccinate.

It's a very personally decision and I don't judge anyone's decision to have a vaccine or not.

 

[overcomer79]

I am getting it. We had a 3 week old to pass away in the area due to it. From my understanding, the shot provides immunity to your baby as a nb.

 

[MandaAnda]

Pertussis vaccine does wear off over time and is only 80% effective to begin with. There was an "outbreak" in California in 2010, and the vast majority who got it were already vaccinated. Also, if you've had the real disease, the antibodies you pass to baby are better than that if the vaccine. As for herd immunity, that only works for the unvaccinated (who have real immunities), apparently. It's unproven for a vaccinated population. It's definitely a tough call and weighing up of risks on both sides.