Pregnant women in Wiltshire told to get winter jabs to avoid complications
Jabs for flu, RSV and Whooping Cough are available to expectant mums across the county
Pregnant women in Wiltshire are being encouraged to get their winter vaccines to protect themselves and their baby.
Jabs for flu, RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) and Whooping Cough are available to expectant mums across the county, with the UKHSA telling us it will have a major benefit in avoiding complications.
"These vaccinations have a dual benefit" said Alasdair Wood, a UKHSA Public Health Consultant in the South West. " By vaccinating a pregnant woman, she can pass some of the immunity on to the baby while it's still in the womb. So the baby is born with some of that protection.
"The really important factor is it protects the mother herself, and she then doesn't spread the disease on to the baby."
Alasdair told us that being pregnant changes how a woman's body responds to the flu virus. It can cause serious complications for the mum herself and with the pregnancy too, such as low birth weights.
It's recommended that mums get the flu jab as early as possible in their pregnancy.
RSV is a common virus and can cause bronchiolitis in babies and young children, which could lead to them spending time in intensive care in the most serious cases.
Alasdair told us the vaccine has been around for a couple of years following a trial and has seen very positive results.
"It's showing fantastic evidence of reducing the chances of developing really severe bronchiolitis. The vaccination reduces the risks of severe bronchiolitis in the baby by about 70% in the first six months of life," he said.
This vaccine is available to women from 28 weeks into their pregnancy.
Whooping Cough is a major risk to babies in the early weeks of life.
Sometimes known as the 100-day cough, it can be a long, protracted illness.
"It's particularly dangerous for babies before they are 8 weeks of age. That's when they get their own vaccination for whooping cough," Alasdair said, adding that the vaccine for whooping cough is available around the 20 week scan.
Pregnant mums are asked to check in with their GP or maternity service about getting their jabs, with all three available at once to people who are beyond the time frame for receiving them.
Women are told that they will need these vaccines for each individual pregnancy they go through.