H1n1/flu Shot? - Norwich,CT

I'd be more scared of what a brand new drug would do to my unborn child than what the H1Nq would do... but that's me. Others may feel differently. My sister is a pharmacist and is wary that any drug rushed to the market has not been time-tested enough--ESPECIALLY to unborn children.

I second what the other responder said. There is a reason it is offered to pregnant women first. A high percentage of deaths and complications have been pregnant women.

Hi S.,

First of all, what a pretty name!

Secondly, I think there are risks on both sides. I agree that pregnant women have a lower immune system because the baby takes so much of the nutrition. You ask what to think about - Would you be interested in learning more about a safe, pure food nutritional supplement which strengthens the immune system? US patents mean it is safe, unique and effective - so there is nothing else out there that compares. I haven't been pregnant in a while, but my (slightly) younger friends have used this with their doctors' blessings, and it has given them everything their prenatal vitamins gave them and much more. They are NEVER sick, and they had healthier babies. I'd be happy to share more info and connect you by phone with some great moms who avoided all this angst you are (quite naturally) going through. You still have to wash your hands of course - and that means washing with regular soap - it's the bubbles and the rubbing that makes a difference, not the use of antibacterial soaps or those sanitizers.

Hi S.,
The vaccine provokes an immune response. Our bodies have never seen this novel variety of flu virus. That is why younger people especially children contract it like wildfire and it is pretty much impossible to avoid as it is contagious through airborne droplets which can travel over 3 feet with one cough and via hand to hand transfer. Pregnancy also greatly lowers your immunity as ob/gyn professors will tell you. This allows your body to not want to reject the fetus. As a result pregnant moms often get sick an awful lot. The hospitalization and death rate for pregnant moms is way above the average for adult women from H1N1. There is nothing special about this vaccine as opposed to the regular seasonal vaccine given each year. Same type of recipe. Same type of procedure to create. The testing is going very well and there are no reports of any significant side effects. You can request thimerosol free if that is a concern to you. While you might get lucky and avoid it, even people who have NEVER gotten the flu are coming down with this in the middle of summer when seasonal flu is weak. If you don't do it, you might want to consider taking a leave to avoid exposure to children, because some schools are reporting 25-30% absence rates (including 2600 at one college.) Ob/gyn's have recommended flu shots for pregnant women for years. Ob's and midwives want moms and babies to be safe. If with all of their combined knowledge, study and love of moms and babies (they wouldn't be in this specialty if they didn't love babies) they felt there was something to worry about, they would not beg their patients to get immunized. You don't want to risk leaving that little baby without a mom like some of the other cases from this summer.

Please, please, please do not get this experimental vaccination. It has hardly been tested on people yet and NO ONE knows what the reprecushions will be not only to perfectly healthy people, but especially to people who have compromised immune systems...especially those of us who may be pregnant. Imagine injecting this unknown substance into your new born baby.
Please take lots of time to think about this...weigh your options and realize that getting this mostly harmless disease would most definately be better for you and your baby than this yet-to-be-tested drug.
If you have any specific questions on the harmfulness of vaccines, please e-mail me directly.
Thanks for taking the time to consider this.
E. K.

I'm not sure what the other responses have been but there is NO WAY I would take that shot. Too new, not tested long enough, and there's a pretty poor history of flu shots actually being effective. Have you read about what happened the last time there was a swine flu outbreak in the 70's? The vaccine came out and was touted and tons of people got it...and more were injured/killed by the shot than by the flu. Many people got Guillan-Barre syndrome and were paralyzed by that vaccine. Also, the adjuvant in this vaccine, squalene, is thought to be what may have caused Gulf War Syndrome in the vets - from the experimental vaccines given for things like anthrax. My family doesn't take any vaccines, but especially not this one!!

I also want to say that, just because someone got a flu shot and didn't get sick - doesn't mean the shots are effective! They might never have gotten the flu anyway. I've NEVER had a flu shot and never gotten sick with the flu. It can be just as effective to build the immune system nature has given us with healthy food, supplements, exercise, sleep, fresh air and sunshine for vitamin D, etc. Modern medicine messes WAY too much with the body and especially with pregnancy, pulling a fear card on mothers. Very sad!

Congratulations on your pregnancy! This flu controversy is confusing for all of us. When I'm pregnant, I worry about every little thing that I put into my body, so I know how difficult a decision this must be for you. I'm also an RN, so I am very aware of risks and side-effects of various medications. I rarely took any type of medications when pregnant, but I always got a flu shot, and if your OB recommends the H1N1 vaccine along with the regular flu shot it would be something worth considering. During pregnancy, your immune system is not as strong as it normally is, and the risk of serious problems is increased. There's no easy answer here, but really, the H1N1 vaccine is not too different from the regular flu vaccine...it's just targeting a different virus. In 1976 there were problems with a swine flu vaccine, but the general thought is that flu vaccines in general were not made as well as they are now.

It's a difficult decision and I wish you all the best as you progress through your pregnancy!

Just my 2 cents but the last time there was a swine flu outbreak in the 70s the vaccine they came out w/ was pulled because of severe and sometimes deadly side effects and the govt passed a law that protects those companies now if you have severe/deadly reaction you can't do a thing bc they are protected. Our pediatrician will not consider giving it until its been out for a few weeks to see if there are any terrible side effects. I suggest if you do want to get it that you wait until after its been out a few weeks and see what side effects others are encountering.
My thinking is if there was an outbreak in the 70s in makes perfect since as to why it isn't effecting people the same way and thats bc the older population was exposed to a similar strain of flu while younge adults and children were not. I think the reason for the scare tactics is an excuse to put more $$$$ in the wealthy drug companies' pockets.
I say wash your hands often and lysol everything you desk, jacket, purse, bag, books etc.

Hi S.,

We are contemplating the same thing with our young kids. The vaccine for this particular flu strain is new and that is scary to me. That means there are little gather statistics about safety. I personally would be very cautious about getting this vaccine while pregnant. See if there is some actual research you can do. What have been adverse effects of the vaccine? What about in pregnant women? If you were to not get the vaccine and get the flu, how could they treat you while pregnant to make sure you don't get a high fever, etc.

Good luck with your decision.

-L.

I personally am not getting the shot, however, I am not a pregnant school teacher.

What I heard somewhere (not sure where at the moment) is that there is thimerosal in this vaccine, so maybe look into if that to see if it is true and the risks.

Congratulations and good luck.

I am also an elementary teacher, wash often, never get sick, didn't take so much as a Tylenol during either prenancy, and had never gotten a flu shot before. Upon the strong urging of both my school nurse and my OB, I got the regular flu shot during both of my pregnancies (this was before the H1N1 scare, so I have no personal experience with that specific flu shot, just the "regular" one). Both my children are fine and I was not sick during eithe pregnancy. It is scary to think of either way--is the vaccine safe? Is getting the flu dangerous? I decided to get it and was glad I did.

The only thing I'd suggest is to ask whomever gives you the shot to read the enclosed information (or ask for it yourself) and read it carefully. My school nurse is amazing and the kind of shot our school got from the public health dept had something in it that was not safe for pregnant women. The one that my primary care doctor did not have that ingredient and stated that it was safe during pregnancy. If my nurse hadn't read all the small print, I wouldn't have known that.

Hi. My main advice to you is to check with your OB/GYN and perhaps also the pediatrician you plan to use. I was having the same questions and our family also NEVER gets the flu shot either. I guess my main concern with the H1N1 shot is that it still is being developed which means no real (not in my mind anyways) testing and knowing long term results, etc - there was information I received also about the strain in the 70's and the vaccine for that causing some neurological issues. For me, the risk of the unknown is far too much to take that chance with my kids. I plan to continue to reinforce coughing into the "pocket" of their arm - we call it the "germ pocket", washing hands, etc. Good luck in whatever your choice is.

Hi S.,

I'm sorry that you're having to figure out this very difficult situation. This response by Dr. Sears may help you decide what to do:

http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/2009/07/h1n1-flu...

Good luck!

check with your ob/gyn, then wait two weeks after the vaccines come out and watch the news for any adverse reaction into. Check out the CDC website. Unfortunately you are as high risk as they come and it comes down to playing the odds. Get the shot but wait, if possible the two weeks. Don't forget to the regular flu shot too, it is not about you and your belief's anymore it is about what is best/safest for your family. And worrying about every sniffle in your classroom will stress you out.

Good Luck, Nat

I also agree with the previous post, and if that isn't enough to convince you, how about this? Your baby is at risk for birth defects and death if YOU get a fever - and a high, prolonged fever is the most common symptom of H1N1. This doesn't make it an issue of "well I can suffer through without meds if I do get it", but a matter of it being dangerous for you and your baby if you contract it.

I personally avoided all medications when I was pregnant, but I did get the flu shot faithfully each time. I didn't want to risk getting even a mild version (I taught 1st graders), spike a fever and put my baby at risk. With H1N1 being a novel flu strain, you're at a much higher risk of contracting it, simply because your body has never been exposed to it before and being pregnant, your body is less able to fight it off.

A leave of absence is a good alternative if it's possible, but consider getting the shot to protect you and your baby.

Hi S.,

I know you've heard a lot of differing advice and I doubt that I have much to add to the discussion - but I'm throwing my two-cents in anyhow...

I'm also a school teacher (who never gets the flu shot), I have a two week old baby and a toddler in daycare, my husband works in health care...so I've been struggling with the same questions. My thoughts are just my opinions, but hopefully they are helpful.

I wouldn't get the H1N1 vaccine because it won't have been well tested. H1N1 is the flu, a little more contagious and with a stronger impact on the young, but for most people it is just the flu. Pregnant women aren't more succeptible to it, but they may have worse outcomes because it can be harder to maintain adequate hydration and because pregnancy makes your body a little unpredictable. If you practice serious handwashing and use hand sanitizer you really should be okay. My husband worked in a clinic treating multiple cases of H1N1 throughout the last 3 months of my pregnancy and no one in my family got sick.

As far as the regular flu shot goes, that is a little less clear. The argument is that people should take it so that they don't weaken their immune system by getting sick with the regular flu and therefore become more succeptible to H1N1. Handwashing still works better than anything. If you do get the regular flu shot make sure that it is the version that is safe for pregnant women and babies.

Good luck! Most importantly, try to get lots of sleep, stay hydrated, and wash your hands!

S.,

I can appreciate your concerns re: H1N1 vaccine. I am an RN in an Emergency room. I don't like taking medications eithter, but I would definately recommend you take the vaccine during your pregnancy. Pregnant women are at much greater risk for serious complications due to the flu. Best Wishes.

J. L.

This is a hard descision with common passionate beliefs in either camp. For me it is the risk trade-off. Sure, vaccines have inherent risks and we are even more cautious when we are pregnant, but pregnant women are among the highest risk for death from swine flu. Of the people who've died so far, 6% were women even though they were only 1% of the population, i.e. 6x and many pregnant women died as would expect in the population!!! When the trade off is extreme minute risk of unknown effects of vaccines vs very possible death, I'll take the vaccine.

This stems from pregnancy naturally decreasing the immune response to anything foreign (since we don't want the immune system attacking the 'foreign' baby), plus decreased pulmonary function in later pregnancy because our uterus us pushing up so dang far! Essentially, even if you are an avid hand washer (kudos), your lungs don't have the capacity to push aereslized virus (common with this flu) out of your lungs.

Hope that helps!
S.

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but the only "experimental" part of the H1N1 vaccine is the strain of flu. It's manufactured exactly the same as the "regular" flu vaccine, which is also tweaked each year to address the varying strains of the flu. The reason it's taking a little while to come out is that they want to make sure it's actually effective against that particular strain of flu, not because the vaccine itself is something new. You can look at flu.gov or the CDC website for more information. (I certainly think you should get the shot, but I thought the info might make you feel better about it).

You should talk it over with your doctor - you and he/she need to be on the same page and make a uniform decision. I am not pregnant, but I do have two children. On the advice of my doctor, I got the flu shot with both of them and never got sick. The positives far outweigh the negatives. As for the H1N1 shot, I know having two children and all the germs they bring home, plus having respiratory issues I will be getting the shot. But again, its a personal decision. Good luck and congrats on your pregnancy

S., I feel for you I really do! From what I've heard pregnant women are at the top of the priority list for H1N1 vaccines because pregnant women have had poor outcomes after getting the virus. As a school teacher I imagine you are exposed to a lot of different viruses. I don't have the answer for you, I just sympathize with you. Have you ever taken echinacea? I would ask your OB/midwife if it is safe to take throughout your pregnancy; it might give your immune system a boost. If you start feeling sick at all I would go to the ER and get the rapid swab test to see if you have it, even if it means getting swabbed several times throughout the flu season. Better to get yourself under a doctors care early in the course of the illness. THat's all I've got. I'm wondering what to do because I work at a hospital, so they are pushing for 100% compliance for both flu shots. I still plan on refusing H1N1 based on the fact that it's so new, but if I were a pregnant school teacher I think I'd probably get it. Good luck with this difficult decision.

S.,

I'm 10 weeks pregnant and this has been on my mind since I found out I was pregnant. I had an appointment today with my OBGYN and got the seasonal flu shot. They highly reccommended getting one. I've never had the flu nor the flu shot. They still reccommended it. I did ask for the preservative free version and got it. In fact, that's all they give out in their office.
I've done alot of research on H1N1. It sounds like the vaccine really is no different than the current seasonal flu shot, just a different strain. They will have a preservative free vaccine available too. With a small child at home and another on the way, I don't want to risk getting severely sick. I have a few more weeks to think about it and hopefully more data will be available by then.
I reccommend talking to your doctor and doing a little research. Too much research will make your head spin though.

Congrats on your pregnancy and best of luck!