Specialist midwife for public health Ellie Young and vaccination nurse Alexandra Pyne are urging pregnant women to take their whooping cough vaccines in a bid to protect their babies.
After a rise in potentially life-threatening cases of whooping cough across our region, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is encouraging all pregnant women to get their free whooping cough vaccine.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can lead to pneumonia and brain damage, particularly in young babies.
Most babies with whooping cough will need hospital treatment and there is also a risk to their life when symptoms are severe.
Children are vaccinated against whooping cough as part of routine vaccinations which are given from two months of age.
Pregnant women can receive a vaccine that allows protection to pass to their unborn baby in the womb so that babies are protected in the first two months of life.
The whooping cough vaccine has been used routinely in pregnancy since 2012 and is over 90% effective in protecting against whooping cough in young babies.
No evidence of risks to pregnancy or babies have been found and the vaccine is recommended in pregnancy in several other countries.
The best time to get vaccinated is between 16 to 32 weeks of pregnancy. However, you can still receive the vaccine until eight weeks following birth.
At The James Cook University Hospital, Alexandra Pyne is working hard to ensure that every pregnant woman is educated about the dangers of whooping cough and is offered the vaccine.
All women have a scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy, which is an ideal time to receive the vaccine. If you are attending James Cook or Friarage Hospital for your scan, please ask a member of staff for more information.
Always remember to: 1: Ask about the vaccine. 2: Say yes to the vaccine. 3: Protect yourself and your baby.
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.