Aa
H1N1 Shot
Im trying to get preggo and this H1N1 thing is really got me confused. What is ur view? Should I get it before or during my pregnancy?
Hope this article helps.
Swine flu vaccine and pregnancy
Most of this article is adapted from information published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Why are health agencies urging pregnant women to get the swine flu shot?
During pregnancy your immune system is less strong and you're more vulnerable to illnesses of all kinds. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that pregnant women get the 2009 H1N1 influenza (swine flu) vaccine and the regular seasonal flu shot, because pregnant women who get any type of flu are at risk for serious complications and hospitalization.
Daily preventive measures such as washing your hands and staying away from people who are sick are highly recommended too, as a way to avoid illnesses in general. But, says the CDC, vaccination is the single best way to protect yourself against the flu.
The agency points out that pregnant women who are otherwise healthy have been severely affected by the 2009 swine flu virus Compared to the general population, more pregnant women infected with the virus have been hospitalized, and some have died. Only about 1 percent of the general population is pregnant, but 6 percent of confirmed fatal swine flu cases so far have been in pregnant women.
Is the swine flu vaccine safe for pregnant women?
According to the CDC and other government health agencies, yes.
In an August 2009 webcast hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an ob-gyn, a certified nurse-midwife, and other experts from the CDC and the National Institutes of Health explained why vaccination against swine flu is so important for moms-to-be and urged pregnant women to get the vaccine at the earliest opportunity.
According to those experts, the new H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine is very similar to the seasonal flu vaccine. It's made in the same way by the same company, employing the same process and the same facilities used to make the seasonal flu vaccine, which has been used safely for decades. It's simply a different strain of the influenza virus that's being targeted.
The seasonal flu shot, experts say, has proved safe and effective for pregnant women and their developing babies at all stages of pregnancy (including the first trimester). Flu is a serious illness that puts you flat on your back for days or weeks just when you're trying to stay healthy and nurture your baby in utero. It can even be a killer. And the risk of harm from a vaccine like the flu vaccine, which is based on a killed virus, is minuscule.
The shot for the new flu is expected to have a similar safety record. A number of clinical trials testing the vaccine are being conducted this fall by the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Is there any danger of me or my baby catching the flu from the swine flu vaccine?
No, not a chance. Flu shots – whether for seasonal flu or swine flu – do not contain the live virus, which is the only thing that can infect you and give you a case of the flu.
Flu shots work by injecting an inactivated vaccine that contains fragments of killed influenza virus. Because the influenza virus is dead, it can't infect you. But it does cause your body to produce antibodies that protect you from the live version if you're exposed to it.
For these reasons, flu shots are approved for pregnant women in every trimester.
There's also a potential benefit to your baby: If the swine flu shot works the way the seasonal flu shot does (as it's expected to, but we don't know yet for sure), antibodies that you develop may be passed to your baby and provide protection from the novel H1N1 (swine flu) for several months after birth. That protection can be vital because babies younger than 6 months are especially vulnerable to illness but can't be vaccinated for the flu.
Is it safe to get the swine flu shot during the first trimester of pregnancy?
According to the experts, yes.
In the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services webcast about swine flu, ob-gyn Laura Riley, medical director of Labor & Delivery, Massachusetts General Hospital, said, "There’s NO benefit to waiting until you’re out of the first trimester. Get the vaccine when it becomes available, whether you’re in the first, second, or third trimester."
Is it safe to get the regular flu shot and the swine flu shot at the same time?
It's fine to get both vaccines at once – preferably in different spots (for example, one in the left arm and one in the right arm).
It's best to be vaccinated as early in the season as possible, however, and the seasonal flu vaccine will available before the swine flu shot. So ideally you would get the regular flu shot now (or as soon as it's offered in your area) and the swine flu shot when it becomes available (expected in mid-October).
How many swine flu shots will be recommended?
Some people, including pregnant women, may need two doses, possibly 21 to 28 days apart. The CDC will know more once data from this fall's clinical trials are available.
Can I be tested for immunity to swine flu before being vaccinated?
There's no easy test for determining whether someone has had H1N1 (swine) flu already. Many different infections, including influenza, can cause flu-like symptoms such as cough, sore throat, and fever. And unfortunately, infection with one strain of flu virus won't protect against other strains.
A few people have had a laboratory test this year showing that they were infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza (swine flu) virus. If you're one of those few people, you don't need to be vaccinated against it. The CDC recommends that people who were actually tested for the virus check with their healthcare provider to make sure the test was either an RT-PCR or a viral culture showing 2009 H1N1 influenza.
On the other hand, if you have encountered the virus and been infected previously without knowing it, there's no harm in being vaccinated.
What are the possible side effects of the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine?
The side effects are expected to be similar to those from seasonal flu vaccines. The most common side effects are mild, and include soreness, redness, and tenderness or swelling where the shot was given. Some people experience headache, muscle aches, fever, nausea, and fainting. If there are side effects, they usually begin soon after you get the shot and may last as long as a day or two.
As with any vaccine, severe allergic reactions are very rare, but possible. Anyone who has a life-threatening allergy to eggs or to any other substance in the vaccine should not be vaccinated. (Chicken eggs are used as a culture for growing the flu virus that's used in flu vaccines.) Before getting the shot, be sure to let your healthcare provider know if you have any severe allergies, if you've ever had a severe allergic reaction to a flu shot, or if you've ever had Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).
Where to get more information
Information about swine flu changes frequently.
See all our articles, the latest headines, and more about swine flu (H1N1 flu).
You may also want to visit the the federal government's Flu.gov site, visit the CDC pages on swine flu during pregnancy, or call the CDC 24 hours a day at (800) 232-4636 (800-CDC-INFO).
Swine flu vaccine and pregnancy
Most of this article is adapted from information published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Why are health agencies urging pregnant women to get the swine flu shot?
During pregnancy your immune system is less strong and you're more vulnerable to illnesses of all kinds. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that pregnant women get the 2009 H1N1 influenza (swine flu) vaccine and the regular seasonal flu shot, because pregnant women who get any type of flu are at risk for serious complications and hospitalization.
Daily preventive measures such as washing your hands and staying away from people who are sick are highly recommended too, as a way to avoid illnesses in general. But, says the CDC, vaccination is the single best way to protect yourself against the flu.
The agency points out that pregnant women who are otherwise healthy have been severely affected by the 2009 swine flu virus Compared to the general population, more pregnant women infected with the virus have been hospitalized, and some have died. Only about 1 percent of the general population is pregnant, but 6 percent of confirmed fatal swine flu cases so far have been in pregnant women.
Is the swine flu vaccine safe for pregnant women?
According to the CDC and other government health agencies, yes.
In an August 2009 webcast hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an ob-gyn, a certified nurse-midwife, and other experts from the CDC and the National Institutes of Health explained why vaccination against swine flu is so important for moms-to-be and urged pregnant women to get the vaccine at the earliest opportunity.
According to those experts, the new H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine is very similar to the seasonal flu vaccine. It's made in the same way by the same company, employing the same process and the same facilities used to make the seasonal flu vaccine, which has been used safely for decades. It's simply a different strain of the influenza virus that's being targeted.
The seasonal flu shot, experts say, has proved safe and effective for pregnant women and their developing babies at all stages of pregnancy (including the first trimester). Flu is a serious illness that puts you flat on your back for days or weeks just when you're trying to stay healthy and nurture your baby in utero. It can even be a killer. And the risk of harm from a vaccine like the flu vaccine, which is based on a killed virus, is minuscule.
The shot for the new flu is expected to have a similar safety record. A number of clinical trials testing the vaccine are being conducted this fall by the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Is there any danger of me or my baby catching the flu from the swine flu vaccine?
No, not a chance. Flu shots – whether for seasonal flu or swine flu – do not contain the live virus, which is the only thing that can infect you and give you a case of the flu.
Flu shots work by injecting an inactivated vaccine that contains fragments of killed influenza virus. Because the influenza virus is dead, it can't infect you. But it does cause your body to produce antibodies that protect you from the live version if you're exposed to it.
For these reasons, flu shots are approved for pregnant women in every trimester.
There's also a potential benefit to your baby: If the swine flu shot works the way the seasonal flu shot does (as it's expected to, but we don't know yet for sure), antibodies that you develop may be passed to your baby and provide protection from the novel H1N1 (swine flu) for several months after birth. That protection can be vital because babies younger than 6 months are especially vulnerable to illness but can't be vaccinated for the flu.
Is it safe to get the swine flu shot during the first trimester of pregnancy?
According to the experts, yes.
In the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services webcast about swine flu, ob-gyn Laura Riley, medical director of Labor & Delivery, Massachusetts General Hospital, said, "There’s NO benefit to waiting until you’re out of the first trimester. Get the vaccine when it becomes available, whether you’re in the first, second, or third trimester."
Is it safe to get the regular flu shot and the swine flu shot at the same time?
It's fine to get both vaccines at once – preferably in different spots (for example, one in the left arm and one in the right arm).
It's best to be vaccinated as early in the season as possible, however, and the seasonal flu vaccine will available before the swine flu shot. So ideally you would get the regular flu shot now (or as soon as it's offered in your area) and the swine flu shot when it becomes available (expected in mid-October).
How many swine flu shots will be recommended?
Some people, including pregnant women, may need two doses, possibly 21 to 28 days apart. The CDC will know more once data from this fall's clinical trials are available.
Can I be tested for immunity to swine flu before being vaccinated?
There's no easy test for determining whether someone has had H1N1 (swine) flu already. Many different infections, including influenza, can cause flu-like symptoms such as cough, sore throat, and fever. And unfortunately, infection with one strain of flu virus won't protect against other strains.
A few people have had a laboratory test this year showing that they were infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza (swine flu) virus. If you're one of those few people, you don't need to be vaccinated against it. The CDC recommends that people who were actually tested for the virus check with their healthcare provider to make sure the test was either an RT-PCR or a viral culture showing 2009 H1N1 influenza.
On the other hand, if you have encountered the virus and been infected previously without knowing it, there's no harm in being vaccinated.
What are the possible side effects of the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine?
The side effects are expected to be similar to those from seasonal flu vaccines. The most common side effects are mild, and include soreness, redness, and tenderness or swelling where the shot was given. Some people experience headache, muscle aches, fever, nausea, and fainting. If there are side effects, they usually begin soon after you get the shot and may last as long as a day or two.
As with any vaccine, severe allergic reactions are very rare, but possible. Anyone who has a life-threatening allergy to eggs or to any other substance in the vaccine should not be vaccinated. (Chicken eggs are used as a culture for growing the flu virus that's used in flu vaccines.) Before getting the shot, be sure to let your healthcare provider know if you have any severe allergies, if you've ever had a severe allergic reaction to a flu shot, or if you've ever had Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).
Where to get more information
Information about swine flu changes frequently.
See all our articles, the latest headines, and more about swine flu (H1N1 flu).
You may also want to visit the the federal government's Flu.gov site, visit the CDC pages on swine flu during pregnancy, or call the CDC 24 hours a day at (800) 232-4636 (800-CDC-INFO).
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