Flu vacination during preg? Yes or No??

Hi Ladies,

I am wondering about getting a flu shot this winter or not seeing as I am preg! DH, DS and I always get the flu shot now that DS is here and is a high risk boy.

I have received conflicting advice (no really? :wall:) on this one. GP thinks I should get it, sister who is a nurse and mother of 4 thinks no, DS's cardiologist isnt sure, midwife thinks yes, imunisation nurse who does DS's shots thinks I should get it. I am seeing my OB on Tue and will ask her then.

Another contributing factor is that DH is going to Canada and New York tomorrow for three weeks for work and may bring home yukky overseas flu (not swine as he wont be allowed back into Aus if he has that!).

What do you guys think?? Are any of you thinking of getting it done?

I just dont want anything to harm the baby.

Thanks,

My work did flu shots about six weeks ago and I wasn't allowed to get one as I was in the tww and didn't know whether I was preg or not (turned out not to be). The nurse said no studies have been done on the effects of the vaccine during any stage of pregnancy so said it was best not to, just in case. She said I wouldn't be able to live with myself on the off chance something happened to a bub I may have been carrying.

Hope that helps.

My GP said no for pretty much the same reasons as JLeigh29's nurse. My Dr said I would need to speak to an OB about it if I wanted it done as he wouldn't be responsible for a possible bad outcome.

I was watching a segment on Kerri-anne a couple of days ago about pregnancy.

They (the doctors) said that there are alot of injections that you cant have while pregnant but the flu shot is one that you CAN have.

HTH

xx

Hi Rommy'sMummy

I am in exactly the same boat - I have no idea whether to get the shot ot not. I have also heard / read such conflicting opinions on the topic, I have no idea what to do.

One school of thought maintains that if any part of your pregnancy falls in the flu season you should definitely get it. The reasons are two-fold: it prevents you getting really sick and causing possible issues for bub. Secondly, it actually provides bubs with some immunity for the first 6 months of life. These reasons are quite compelling for me, but I am still so scared.

My issue is that flu vaccines are constantly changing and I don't think any will have been tested over really long periods of time to truly verify their safety in pregnancy. That compounded by the fact that so many doctors won't administer it without an OB appoving it, really concerns me.

I have subscribed to this thread because I am really interested to see what others have to say about it. I have an OB appointment on Tuesday and intend on asking him if it is safe. I will post what he tells me after I see him.

The Staff Vaccination Nurse at my work has said it is safe... but I am concerned that she just wants 100% take up rate this year

GP (though not my normal one) said that it much like getting the flu during pregnancy so doesn't see why not

Obs said that as this would be my first year getting it he would not recommend it as they have no indication if I have had previous reactions to the vaccination...

I have decided not to have it... as I don't usually have it anyway - I am not much help :redface:

Looks like there are a few of us struggling with this one...

JLeigh, Oz and Chickie - thats just what has me worried, GP's advising to get it approved by OB whereas others (including my GP) saying I really should as it could protect me and bubs.

Sambo - I am seeing my OB on Tues too so it will be interesting to compare notes.

TK - I have had a flu shot each year since DS born and have had no reaction but each year they are different depending on the latest flu they are fighting, so I dont see how that makes it safer? Not sure. So many variables hey?

Keep the opinions coming ladies, its very helpful.

Rachel

Hi,
I don't intend to alarm you - but I must inform you with what I know.
The flu vaccine is known to contain thiomersol, a preservative which is made up of 50% Mercury. Mercury is a heavy metal, is toxic to the human body, and certainly not a substance you want to be exposing your unborn child to. We are advised to avoid fish with high mercury content during pregnancy for this reason. High mercury levels found in the brain tissue of children with autism is part of the reason why so many parents, natural medical practitioners and environmental toxicologists have linked autism with mercury in vaccines. The flu vaccine is also known to contain formaldehyde, neomycin and other antibiotics depending on the manufacturer.
Doctors may try to rebuke this information, or claim that the amount of mercury contained in the vaccine is considered safe, but as the flu shot is an optional thing anyway, I would think it definitely wiser to avoid any potential risks whilst you are pregnant and wait until next year.
There are many substances that can enhance your immune function which are 100% natural, safe and do not contain toxic preservatives which may be contraindicated during pregnancy. If you would like to find out more about this - you can speak to Naturopath Jocelyn King (she works at the bellybelly centre on Tuesdays) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner Justin Keane (he works at the BellyBelly centre Tues am & Thurs pm).
Unfortunately, natural remedies for the flu, (whilst incredibly ancient, potent, effective and inexpensive) are not promoted by pharmaceutical companies as they cannot be patented, (as they belong to nature) and hence a small group of people are unable to make a very large profit from them. The well promoted flu drug Tamiful is derived from the herb 'Star Anise', which has been used as a natural antiviral drug in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 5000 years. In order to do this, the herb is genetically modified, and has a couple of synthetic chemicals added to it so that it can be patented. However if you mention the herb star anise to a GP or pharmacuetical rep - they will tell you to stay away from it, and that it is ineffective (:doh:). I think you get my drift.....;)
Of course it is your choice at the end of the day, but please- really do your research on this one. All the best in your pregnancy.

X

Thanks JellyBean, that is very useful info to take to the OB on Tue. Interestingly my DH is off to Canada today with a course of Tamiflu in his luggage just in case! I will tell him its originally from Star Anise.

I have my flu vaccine every year without fail. In fact it was highly reccommended to me by my Dr and Ob.

For the years I have not had the flu shot I have ended up incredibly sick starting off witht he flu then moving into chest infections, bronchitis, ear infections, sinus problems - the list goes on.

I would rather have it done especially given I work closely with the general public and quite frankly I would not like to catch anything off a customer and get really sick and put my unborn baby at a greater risk.

Last time I got really sick it was pnemonia (sp?) no way could I be treated for that if I was pregnant!

My obs and GP (2 different people) said that it was fine to have it in the 2nd trimester. I just managed to get it in the 2nd tri - as was nearly in 3rd tri by the time I had it. So I had mine done as I usually have it (I'd rather not have to take time off school as it's too hard to write relief lessons for secondary school.) I've already had a bit of a nasty cold this season (early) and didn't fancy getting an actual case of flu to go with it.

I work in a hospital environment and was worried about this - I spoke to the midwives, Mothersafe, my GP, the infection control clinical nurse consultant - basically they all emphatically stated that the flu shot was recommended for pregnant women, mainly because it is safe, but secondly becasue it is quite dangerous for the baby if you get the full-on flu.

so I got it - but now terrified after reading jelly beans post:(

Hugs to you Neptune! You did a great amount of work in getting opinions and made an informed decision - thats exactly what I am trying to do too. Working in a Hopt puts you in a significantly higher risk group for catching the flu - we go to the Childrens Hosp a few times a month and sit in cardiology and pulmonary clinic waiting rooms which puts me in a high enough risk category!

To me its about weighing up the risks. Is it worse to have the flu shot or worse for me to get the flu and be really sick? For me coughing so much with an irritable uterus is probably reason enough to get the shot as that alone could set off pre-term labor.

I will ask my OB on Tue and let you all know what she thinks.

Thanks so much for all your thoughts.

I was unsure on this one too. I couldn't have the freebie when work offered it because I was in my first trimester, but at my 12w OB appointment she said I should definitely get it because being pregnant I'm in a high risk category. So I'm off today to get it done, but will check with the GP first to see his opinion (going in for other things too). If it's harmful to baby I won't get it done, otherwise I will. I HATE needles and haven't got the flu vac in the past (why go thru the trauma of needles when I get sick anyway), but the thought of getting sick while PG and not being able to take anything is just awful!!

Yep, I'm getting one. Though my GP said there is a wait for the injection to become available at the local pharmacy. Pregnant women are high risk of suffering severe (possibly life threatening) complications of the flu. Sure it is a very small risk, but it is present. To me, this risk is more serious than that posed by any "mercury" (as in Jellybean's post) in the injection.

I just got back from my OB and am, unfortunately, none-the-wiser:

Basically, he will let you get the shot if you want it, but if you don't want it then that is also OK. They don't appear to prescribe it as routine for pregnant women. Hmmmm...

I spoke to his mid-wife as well and in her opinion it was a 50/50 thing. Perhaps it was worthwhile, but perhaps the risks aren't worth taking :rolleyes: She said that she personally doesn't think it is worth it, based simply on the fact that it only provides you with protection from last year's flu strains (which is why you still get people saying they got sick even though they had the flu shot) and the strains could be entirely different this year. She did say that if you were to speak to the vaccine manufacturers that they would, no doubt, insist it is safe. So I don't know if that gives anyone any comfort, it certainly doesn't give me any :(

So I am still in two minds about getting it. DH is seeing our GP next Wednesday and I may pop along and ask him what his opinion is.

Rachel, hopefully you received a more definitive answer at your OB visit.

Just as an aside and quite off topic: the midwife did check with me if everyone living with our baby once it is out i.e. DH, myself and my folks (who will be in Australia for the birth) had got their boosters for whooping cough, chicken pox, rubella etc. She said that if I haven't had mine, I should be getting them with bub when I take him to get his. As for everyone else they should look at getting them now. I was totally unaware that these vaccines only last 12 years...which means we are all very out-of-date with ours. I understand some people are against vaccinations, so I am not prescribing anything by writing this, I just thought that some of you ladies may be interested.

I too work in a hospital - I had the flu vax last year whilst pregnant. No problems with it here - It is really hard to make a decision as there seems to be so much conflicting information. Good luck with your decision making...so much to consider!
Wishing you a wonderful rest of your pregnancy!

A travel doctor recommended booster shots for me before I went to India about four years ago, so I'm covered.
I remember I got the rubella shot at school when I was about 12 or 13 and we were told that we needed it for when we had kids later. But that presumed all girls were going to get knocked up by 24! A bit old-fashioned, even for the 80s.

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.

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 :wall:) 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.

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.

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.

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.

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!