Mother speaks out about consequences of refusing whooping cough vaccine

A mother has spoken out about the impact that her refusal to get the whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy has had on her baby. Cormit had a healthy pregnancy, with no problems or complications, and a healthy birth. She also exercises regularly and eats a balanced diet, hence why she refused the whooping cough vaccination when it was offered to her at 28 weeks. However, during the last two weeks of her pregnancy, she contracted whooping cough. Her newborn daughter, Eva, also contracted the disease. She revealed in a video post on Facebook: “Within 2 weeks the cough became pretty scary, horror movie stuff, coughing to the point of becoming blue, flopping in my hands, can’t breathe, running into hospital.” Her baby girl, who is her first child, actually ended up in intensive care and has apparently been in hospital for 3 weeks. Cormit said: “It’s so hard to watch your tiny little thing….They go red, they go blue, sometimes they go a bit black. For a moment, you think they’re dead in your hands. They flop. It’s a lot of suffering for a little thing you love so much.” The clip, uploaded to the ‘Gold Coast Health’ Facebook page, ends with the mum saying that she would protect herself if she could turn back time. Watch the full video below... For more information on whooping cough (also known as pertussis) and the HSE’s recommendations for protecting against same, click here.