Should I Get The Whooping Cough Vaccine While Pregnant

Iv2 Effectiveness And Duration Of Protection

Should You Get a Whooping Cough Vaccine? — The Doctors

The vaccine efficacy following the primary series with acellular pertussis vaccines is estimated to be about 85%, and approximately 90% following booster immunization.Footnote 27Footnote 28-30 However, the true vaccine effectiveness of acellular pertussis vaccines is difficult to determine because few surveillance systems have the capacity or data quality to calculate this accurately . In addition, the clinical trials case definition provided by the World Health Organization does not account for milder cases, and may artificially inflate efficacy.Footnote 31

Effectiveness and duration of maternal and infant protection following vaccination in pregnancy has not been studied.

What Happens If Children And Teens Haven’t Gotten All Of Their Scheduled Whooping Cough Vaccines

Not getting recommended vaccines on time puts children and teens at higher risk for getting and spreading whooping cough. Vaccination is the best protection we have against whooping cough, so it’s important that everyoneâchildren and adultsâget their scheduled whooping cough vaccines.

  • If your child is younger than seven years and isn’t up to date, talk to his or her healthcare provider right away about getting caught up on DTaP vaccines.
  • If your child is seven to ten years old and hasn’t followed the recommended immunization schedule, he or she needs a Tdap vaccine.

Can I Have This Vaccine At The Same Time As The Flu Vaccine

If you’re pregnant during the flu season , then you should have the flu vaccine as early as you can during pregnancy.

If you’re over 16 weeks pregnant and you still havent had the flu vaccine, then you can and should have both vaccines. You can have them at the same time or separately – the vaccines dont interfere with each other if given together.

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Should You Get The Whooping Cough Vaccine In Pregnancy

If youre pregnant, getting the whooping cough vaccine will help protect you and your unborn baby from the disease.

Although babies can be vaccinated against whooping cough, they typically get their first vaccine when theyre 2 months old. That leaves them vulnerable to infection in the first months of life.

Whooping cough can be very dangerous for young babies, and in some cases even fatal.

To help protect young infants from whooping cough, the CDC advises pregnant adults to get the Tdap vaccine during the third trimester of pregnancy.

The vaccine will cause your body to produce protective antibodies to help fight off whooping cough. If youre pregnant, your body will pass these antibodies on to the fetus in your womb. This will help protect the baby, after theyre born.

Studies have found that the whooping cough vaccine is safe for pregnant people and fetuses, according to the

CDC recommends the following vaccination schedule for whooping cough:

  • Infants and children: Receive a shot of DTaP at the ages of 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, and 4 to 6 years.
  • Adolescents: Receive a shot of Tdap between the ages of 11 and 12 years.
  • Adults: Receive a shot of Tdap once every 10 years.

If youve never received the DTaP or Tdap vaccine, dont wait 10 years to get it. You can get the vaccine at any time, even if youve recently been vaccinated against tetanus and diphtheria.

The Tdap vaccine is also recommended during the third trimester of pregnancy.

  • chills
  • rash

What Are The Side Effects Of The Whooping Cough Vaccine

Pregnant Hongkongers urged to get whooping cough vaccine ...

You may have some mild side effects such as swelling, redness or tenderness where the vaccine is injected in your upper arm, just as you would with any vaccine. These only last a few days. Other side effects can include fever, irritation at the injection site, swelling of the vaccinated arm, loss of appetite, irritability and headache. Serious side effects are extremely rare.

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Are There Side Effects From The Vaccines

Like any medication, vaccines may cause side effects. Most are mild:

  • Pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site
  • Mild fever
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach ache
  • Chills, body aches, sore joints, rash, or swollen glands

Moderate reactions to whooping cough vaccine are rare, but could include crying for three hours or more in children. The only known serious reaction to the DTaP vaccine is an allergic reaction to the vaccine and is very rare, less than 1 in 1 million doses. There are no known moderate or serious reactions to the Tdap vaccine.

Preparations Authorized For Use In Canada

Pertussis-containing vaccines

  • ADACEL®, Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.
  • ADACEL®-POLIO , Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.
  • BOOSTRIX® , GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
  • BOOSTRIX®-POLIO , GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
  • INFANRIX®-IPV , GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
  • INFANRIX®-IPV/Hib , GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
  • INFANRIX hexaTM® , GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
  • PEDIACEL® , Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.
  • QUADRACEL® , Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.

In Canada, pertussis vaccine is only available as an acellular preparation in a combination vaccine. The amount of acellular pertussis antigen present varies by product. Preparations containing higher concentrations of acellular pertussis antigen are administered for primary immunization of infants and young children less than 7 years of age and may be administered as a booster for children 4 years to less than 7 years of age. Preparations containing a lower concentration may also be administered as a booster dose to children 4 years to less than 7 years of age and are the recommended product for older children, adolescents and adults .

For complete prescribing information, consult the product leaflet or information contained within Health Canada’s authorized product monographs available through the Drug Product Database. Refer to Table 1 Contents of Immunizing Agents Available in Canada in Part 1 for a list of all vaccines available for use in Canada and their contents.

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Is There Still A Whooping Cough Epidemic In Washington

Our statewide case count of 4,918 during the epidemic of 2012 was well above what we expect to see in an average yearâthe highest level since 1941, when 4,960 cases were reported. The pace of new whooping cough cases slowed after the 2012 epidemic, but some communities are beginning to see higher numbers again. Even when the number of cases decreases, it’s important to remember that whooping cough never goes away completely. Getting vaccinated and staying away from others when you are sick are the best ways to slow the spread of whooping cough and protect people at highest risk, like babies and pregnant women. Find the current number of whooping cough cases in Washington , or the number of whooping cough cases reported in past years.

Are There Alternatives To The Vaccine

The pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine in pregnancy

There is no other way to protect your baby from whooping cough. Recently, some young babies in the UK have died from whooping cough before they were old enough to receive their first vaccine.

Getting vaccinated during pregnancy provides antibodies that will be passed to the baby so he or she has some protection during the first few weeks of life when whooping cough is most serious.

The earliest your baby can receive the vaccine themselves is at two months, as newborn babies do not respond well to the vaccine. Three doses are needed to get full protection.

Breastfeeding alone will not protect your child from whooping cough before their first injection, as not enough immunity is passed in the breast milk to your baby.

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Why Is This Vaccine Recommended For Pregnant Women

In 2012 the UK experienced a nationwide outbreak of pertussis , a highly infectious disease that can cause serious complications including death, especially in young babies. In 2012 there were over 9,300 cases in England alone more than ten times as many as in recent years. The causes of this are not clear. In the years since 2012 there has been a fall in cases, but numbers are still high compared to the years before the 2012 epidemic . 14 babies under three months old died of pertussis in 2012, and another 18 died between 2013 and 2016. There were no deaths from pertussis in 2017, and no deaths in the first nine months of 2018. Babies under three months of age are most vulnerable to severe disease.

Vaccination of mothers can protect babies from pertussis. In the UK, a temporary programme began in October 2012 to offer pertussis vaccination to pregnant women. In July 2014 it was recommended that this programme should continue for at least 5 more years, owing to continuing high levels of pertussis in the UK. A similar programme is now offered in the US, Australia, and some other European countries. Around 70% of pregnant women in England currently receive the whooping cough vaccine. Out of the 18 babies who have died of pertussis since the start of 2013, 16 were born to mothers who had not been vaccinated against pertussis.

Is The Whooping Cough Vaccine Required For Healthcare Workers

All healthcare workers should get one dose of Tdap vaccine. This helps protect the workers and their patients. This is especially true if the health care worker will be working with babies and pregnant women. There is no state law that requires healthcare workers to get the whooping cough vaccine, but some health care organizations have policies that require staff to be vaccinated. Check with your employer about your workplace vaccination policies.

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Does The Whooping Cough Vaccine Really Work

While it is not perfect, the whooping cough vaccine is the best available protection against the disease. It helps protect both the person who gets the vaccine and those around them who are most vulnerable to severe whooping cough or complications . We know that the protection received from any of the available whooping cough vaccines is fairly good in the first year after receiving the vaccine, but it does wear off over time. In the same way, people that had whooping cough in the past gradually become susceptible to the disease in about five to ten years.

Get The Whooping Cough Vaccine During Each Pregnancy

Vaccines Help Protect against Whooping Cough

Only you can give your baby protection against whooping cough before your little one is even born. Talk to your doctor or midwife about getting the whooping cough vaccine during your third trimester.

Whooping cough is a serious disease that can be deadly for babies. Unfortunately, babies do not start building their own protection against whooping cough until they get vaccinated at two months old. This leaves babies unprotected in the first months of life when they are at highest risk of getting very sick if they get whooping cough.

Protect your baby before she is able to get vaccinated by getting a Tdap vaccine during the third trimester of your pregnancy. By doing so, you pass high levels of antibodies to your baby before birth. These antibodies help protect your baby against whooping cough in those first months of life.

CDC recommends all women receive a Tdap vaccine during the 27th through 36th week of each pregnancy, preferably during the earlier part of this time period. The following medical associations dedicated to the health of pregnant women or children support this recommendation:

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Blood Tests Cannot Tell If You Need A Tdap Vaccine

Experts do not know what level of whooping cough antibodies is needed to protect anyone, including babies, from getting sick. That is why CDC recommends all women get a Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy even women with some antibodies due to a previous infection or vaccine. The goal is to give each baby the greatest number of protective antibodies possible.

If I Recently Gave Birth Can I Get The Whooping Cough Vaccine

If you just gave birth and have never received Tdap , you should get it right away. Your baby is vulnerable to whooping cough because babies are too young to be vaccinated until about two months of age and aren’t fully protected until after the first four doses of the DTaP vaccine . Your child will also need a fifth dose of DTaP vaccine between age four and six years.

Whooping cough is very serious for babies and young children, and the most common way for them to get it is from parents, caregivers, and other family members. The best way to protect your baby is to get the vaccine and make sure your other children are immunized on time.

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When Will I Be Immunised

Immunisation’s recommended as soon as possible from week 16 of your pregnancy. The ideal time to have the vaccine is between weeks 16 and 32, but the sooner you get the vaccine the better. This means there’s more time for your body to make antibodies and for these to be passed to your unborn baby. You may still have the vaccine after you’re 32 weeks pregnant, but it won’t offer your baby the same level of protection.

Are There Any Risks To Me Or My Baby If Im Immunised While Im Pregnant

CDC Recommends Expectant Moms Receive Whooping Cough Vaccination

There’s no evidence that immunising pregnant women with this type of vaccine can cause any harm.

Its much safer for you to have the vaccine than to risk your newborn catching whooping cough.

The whooping cough vaccine isn’t a live vaccine so it cant cause whooping cough in women who have the immunisation, or their babies. A recent study in the UK found no safety concerns related to getting immunised against whooping cough when pregnant. Studies from the US of immunising pregnant women against whooping cough have also found no evidence of risk to pregnant women.

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What Vaccine Is Given To Pregnant Women

The vaccine offered to pregnant women in the UK is called Boostrix-IPV. This is also used as a pre-school booster vaccine, and protects against diphtheria, tetanus and polio as well as pertussis. The vaccine does not contain any live bacteria or viruses, and cannot cause any of the diseases it protects against.

Boostrix-IPV can safely be given to pregnant women at the same time as the flu vaccine. See the Patient Information Leaflet .

How Do I Spot Whooping Cough In My Baby

Be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough, which include severe coughing fits that may be accompanied by difficulty breathing or vomiting after coughing, and the characteristic “whoop” sound.

If you are worried your baby may have whooping cough, contact your doctor immediately.

Read more about whooping cough vaccination in the leaflet Whooping cough and pregnancy from Public Health England.

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You May Experience Side Effects From The Tdap Vaccine

Most side effects are mild, meaning they do not affect daily activities. They also get better on their own in a few days. The most common side effects from the Tdap vaccine include

  • Redness, swelling, pain, and tenderness where you got the shot
  • Body-ache
  • Fatigue
  • Fever

In adults who have received 2 doses of the Tdap vaccine, the most commonly reported side effect was pain where they got the shot.

Severe side effects are extremely rare, especially in adults.

Monday 8 November 2021

Renewing the fight against whooping cough

This article was written during the Queensland response to the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects the information available at the date of publication. Please check the Australian Department of Health COVID-19 webpage for updated information and current health advice regarding COVID-19 and vaccinations in Queensland.

There is a lot of misinformation circulating online about the COVID-19 vaccine affecting fertility and being unsuitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Much of this information is unscientific and factually wrong, causing unnecessary worry for many.

If you need more information or have concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancy, have a conversation with your GP, obstetrician or midwife.

Based on research and common questions we see on our social media channels, weve pulled together answers around the vaccine, fertility, pregnancy, and breastfeeding to give you the facts you need.

If you prefer, you can watch this video of Dr Jane, obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, and mother of three young children, as she talks about COVID-19 vaccination and breastfeeding, the newness of the vaccines, the safety of the vaccines in pre-conception, pregnancy, and breastfeeding, COVID-19 complications in pregnancy, vaccines and fertility, COVID-19 and loss of pregnancy, increased risk of complications from COVID-19 infection while pregnant, COVID-19 infection after childbirth, vaccine side effects, and other important topics.

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Safety And Adverse Events

Refer to Adverse events following immunization in Part 2 for additional general information. Refer to Diphtheria Toxoid, Tetanus Toxoid, Poliomyelitis Vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type b Vaccine and Hepatitis B Vaccine in Part 4 for additional information regarding other components in pertussis-containing combination vaccines.

Common adverse events

  • Local reactions at and near the site of injection: 10-40%
  • Extensive limb swelling: 2-6% of children more commonly associated with the 4th or 5th dose but resolve spontaneously
  • Fever, irritability and/or fussiness: 8 29%
  • Drowsiness: 40-52%

Uncommon and rare adverse events

  • Anaphylaxis following vaccination with pertussis-containing vaccine may occur, but is very rare
  • Severe arthus-type injection site reactions
  • Hypotonic hyporesponsive episodes : The case definition of HHE includes sudden onset of hypotonia , hyporesponsiveness , and pallor or cyanosis. However, there is evidence that there are no adverse consequences to these events and the adverse consequences of being incompletely immunized have been well documented.
  • High fever with or without seizure: High fever and convulsions, both febrile and afebrile, are rarely reported and are not contraindications to further immunization with acellular pertussis-containing vaccine.

Other safety issues

Epidemiological studies do not support allegations of a causal relationship between pertussis-containing vaccines and either permanent neurological injury or Type 1 diabetes.

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