Flu vacination during preg? Yes or No??

[Rommy'sMummy]

Hi GTBIAsia, we are also talking about the Flu shot that you can get each Flu season so you wont be covered by your general vaccine boosters for that. Its something you need to decide to get each year.

I will post this evening with my OB's answer - hopefully she can give me a bit of guidance.

[Rommy'sMummy]

Hi Ladies, just got back from my OB who thought Flu shot was a good idea and in her opinion safe. Obviously she is speaking from a "medical model" of care on her assesment of what constitutes safe. She certainly wasnt pushing me to have it though.

So I will talk it over with my DH (via Skype as he is in Canada for work ATM ) and then decide what to do. I am leaning towards getting the shot as the risks of getting the Flu worry me.

Thanks for all your input and discussion.

[Pooley]

Had mine done today. Once doc told me it was safe and spoke to other women in my aquanatal class I pretty just made the decision to do it.

Good luck with your decision.

[JLeigh29]

This has been a really interesting thread, so thank you to everyone for posting and for researching and getting opinons.

I think you have to weigh up the risks of potential complications of the vaccine and risks of potential complications from the flu. I've only had the flu (as opposed to a bad cold) once, and I can only imagine how much harder it'd have been if I were preg. Having said that, I often get secondary infections (throat, respiratory, ear) from a cold, and I have asthma. If the fluvax can prevent those complications, which would be much more likely with a stronger illness like the flu (which could jeopardise a preg), then I'd have it.

Good luck with everyone's decision-making.

[Justin Keane]

TCM excels in preventing disease. The approach to preventing disease, including airbourne, is to strengthen the defensive chi. This can be done whilst pregnant, before or after. Pregnancy (in TCM terms) is actually a very healthy period of time in a womens life, and if she makes good choices regarding exposure of herself to the elements, physical and emotional stress and sick people, strong pollutants etc, the immune system will have no trouble dealing with seasonal pathogens. Your Dr. of Chinese Medicine can give you a diagnoses of whether or not your defensive qi is strong enough at any given time of year (your history will be taken into account), whether pregnant or not.

[tk1999]

That is a good point Justin... I remember now my TCM/Acupuncturist did say something to me about this ie that he would see me closer to winter

Me thinks I best make an appt!