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citymama
09-30-2009, 02:04 AM
From Tuesday's NYT:

Pregnancy is No Time to Refuse a Flu Shot
Full article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/views/29essa.html?_r=1&ref=health

"... a study in The Lancet reported strikingly high rates of death and of complications like pneumonia in pregnant women with H1N1 influenza. Pregnancy meant a fourfold risk of hospitalization, sometimes with a tragic outcome; all the pregnant women who died had been relatively healthy to begin with.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have since put pregnant women at the top of the priority list for the vaccine, and have recommended that pregnant women start antiviral medications as soon as possible after exposure to the virus and after the onset of flu symptoms.

But if experience is any indication, even these forceful recommendations may not be enough to overcome reluctance among pregnant women and those who care for them. Even though the seasonal flu vaccine is recommended for pregnant women in particular, in one study only 15 percent received the vaccine — a rate far lower than any adult group for whom it is recommended."

This is just an excerpt - read the full article via the link above.

goldenpig
09-30-2009, 03:38 AM
Thanks for the link. I totally agree.

I'm also pregnant and planning to get the H1N1 flu shot ASAP (already got the seasonal flu shot). I feel like the increased risk of having complications if you get the flu while pregnant far outweighs the theoretical (and unproven) risks of getting a vaccine. Whenever I read about another previously healthy pregnant woman who dies from H1N1 it kind of freaks me out too. Also in my mind, getting the flu shot makes sense because it is protecting not only myself but the baby, and the antibodies will help protect the baby even after birth until they are able to get the flu vax themselves at 6 months.

Here's a couple more links on the subject:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/pregnant_qa.htm
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thehumancondition/archive/2009/09/28/swine-flu-and-pregnancy-what-your-doctor-might-not-tell-you.aspx