I never got the flu shots this fall. Somehow I have made it to mid-March and there are days when I question what I could possibly have been thinking, skipping it for this long. Now that I'm nestled into the second tri, I am not as worried about the effects of the flu shot on my pregnancy and have considered getting it. In other words - so what if I feel crappy for a day or run a short fever, the neural tube closed long ago. Plus, if there were any serious widespread problems associated with the H1N1 vax's effects on recipients, it probably would have come out by now. But it's mid-March. In California. The sun is shining, etc. I checked out the graphs on the Cal gov website and hospitalizations/deaths due to H1N1 have been on the decline since mid-November in this state and have been zero or close to it for the past few weeks.
I have pretty much decided that the seasonal flu shot is unnecessary at this point. Most of the flu around here has been H1N1, DH got the seasonal shot, and it's likely that the seasonal flu has mutated by now anyway.
I don't want to put unnecessary toxins in my body, but I do still feel like I'm still walking around on eggshells and it would be nice not to feel that way. Also, I agree with the camp that says getting the H1N1 flu while pregnant has the potential to be far worse than anything the vax could do. I keep hearing alarmist reports that H1N1 might be with us through to the summer, there could be another peak, etc. etc. I don't necessarily believe these things but if I'm no longer worried about the jab itself, wouldn't it be better to be safe than sorry?
Question is, is there any point at this point?
14 years ago
5 comments:
I did not get any flu shots with my son and choose to space out his vaccines.
This pregnancy with my daughter I did not get a seasonal flu shot but did get the H1N1 shot for a bit of peace of mind even if things are never 100 percent. I got it at 14 wks.
I agree about skipping the seasonal flu vaccine at this point and you are MOST likely ok to skip the swine flu vaccine but it is whatever you are most comfortable with. I was in the second tri right in the middle of the outbreak so that is why I did. Also my RE and OB encouraged it since it is much more dangerous to pregnant women. Not just death, but losing babies or PTL. That combined with the outbreak at the time scared me.
Good luck I know it is a hard decision!
Kelley
i got both vaccines but at this point if i were you i wouldn't bother, not because i'm worried about the effects of the shot since i believe they're safe, but because it seems like a mute point this late in the season.
I wish I could find the reports I was reading the other day. They basically said that if the virus started picking up again, they'd have to come out with a new vax because more than likely the strain of the virus would be different from the strain that the last batches of vax were made from.
So basically, anything you can get at the Dr. at this point is old and designed to treat the first season of H1N1. Seems pointless to me.
I'm anti-flu shots. The only time in my entire life I got the flu just so happened to be the same year I got the flu shot. It was horrible and I was in bed for a week. So I swore off the shots after that and no flu ever since. Good luck with your decision, though. I know it's a tough one!
I received the H1N1 shot under my Drs & DH orders. I was lucky that they were out of the Flu shot. I say, this late in the season and with Spring right around the corner, I don't think not getting a flu/H1N1 shot would be a problem.
Then again, I know here where I live, the Sheriff's office is expecting a H1N1 "outbreak" this summer. Scary.
I did hear that some women do tend to get the flu when they get the flu shot...reason why I didn't want to take it. Plus, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking any medicine to help me knowing I could drug- even further- my baby.
Good luck with the decision!
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