I had it last week for the following reasons:

I live in Glasgow, a major hotbed for H1N1, and i have to use public transport to get about and cannot avoid being "out in the world".

I read all the data i could find. For those who are interested there was a large study done on 5000 people with the pandemrix H5N1 vaccine (same vaccine, different flu strain) including high-risk and pregnant patients and there was nothing statistically significant in terms of miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects or short-term affects on the children (could be they will all die aged 7, since the babies in question are still preschoolers, but nothing of note so far). I found nothing to suggest that the vaccine is unsafe.

I was sick with regular flu last year, not pregnant and i had a fever for weeks, and it took me about 6.5weeks from first symptom to last to get over it, with a further 2-3 weeks of weakness. In addition it came on so fast that i couldn't have gotten something like Tamiflu in time. On friday morning i had a mild sore throat and felt a bit off, the following morning DH rushed me to A&E with a swollen face (2ndary infection in sinus) and closing airways (2ndary infections in throat, windpipe and lungs). I am SO rarely ill, that was a big wake-up call as to how fast and how hard a virus like that can hit me. I cannot imagine how i would cope if i got that ill again while pregnant. I'm not offered the normal flu vaccine but if i was i would take it!

I have had 4 miscarriages and at least one followed a fever, which might have been unconnected but also might not have been, given studies show that fever can be teratogenic to the unborn baby.

So i decided to get it. The reason the deaths from swine flu are being talked about more is because old and disabled people generally get illest and/or die of seasonal flu. Which is economically irrelevant. With H1N1 young people, because they have never been exposed to an H1N1-type virus, are more likely to get it, more likely to be illest and more likely to die. It is costing the UK economy millions that so many young people are off work and in hospital. Hence it is in the news and the government want to stop it ASAP. Unfortunately it is money, once again, that makes the dfference.

It's a personal decision everyone has to make themselves. If it turns out the baby i'm carrying is autistic it will mean precisely nothing to me since me, my dad, DD, DH and most of the other members of my family have traits or are on the spectrum! In fact maybe i'll blame the vaccine if it comes out NOT autistic!

Bx