Vaccinated

Thanks all for your input and advice. I really appreciate it. I know I'm ridiculously late to the party on this topic, (as well as ridiculously overthinking it) but here it is.

I decided to get both shots. I was really torn about it and the decision to do it came down to two things. One was purely psychological. I could not bear the thought of stressing myself and my baby out about whether I should have gotten the shot (and the flu itself) for the rest of the year. Which leads me to my second deciding factor: even though flu season will be just about over by the time my immunity kicks in, the time between the baby's birth and the time the baby could get its own vax will be smack dab in 2010-2011 flu season. Turns out, one of the strains from the current seasonal flu vax as well as the 2009 H1N1 strain will be in next year's flu shot. So by getting it now, I maybe give my baby and myself some protection against 2 outta 3 of next years expected strains before the vaccines are available to us. This could come in handy when the kid is being passed around at holidays and when we get on that plane to Mexico. I know this is a stretch, but it's a possibility. Anything that can help.

I am not convinced that the flu shots work all that well (Dr. said about 89% effective - and only against certain strains of course) and I am not fooled into believing I can be reckless from here on out. It just makes me feel better to know that I am taking every precaution I can. One of the things that got me thinking more about the shots is that I can actually feel my immune system weakening. It started with a stuffy nose months ago, now most days I feel like I just have a cold. I sneeze, I get chilly easily. The risk of the flu has become kind of real to me.

I called the obg department and asked whether "the office" was still recommending flu shots for pregnant patients. I intentionally did not ask what my specific obg's stance on it was since a) I was already pretty sure of the answer and b) I don't always trust her. And it turned out that all of the doctors in the group were still recommending the shots. That's about 12 doctors in a respectable practice. Now, I know, I know, I've said myself that my obg seems to be "one of them" - one of the insurance company types or industry types. And maybe they're all that way. DH pointed out that it's a pure business decision, doctors are covering their asses on both sides. They recommend that you take the flu shot so you can't sue them if you get the flu. And with the other hand they make you sign a release form saying if you die from the shot - not their problem. But I do have a little faith in the medical industry, however trivial and naive it may be. Consumers are powerful. When people wanted mercury out of the vaccine, they took it out. When bad things happen (GBS outbreak in the 70's), they're usually investigated. Pharm and the CDC actually seem to do a lot to debunk myths and to react to public fears, even fears it feels are unfounded. The H1N1, contrary to popular belief, has now attained the status of the most tested flu vaccine maybe ever. It being March, I guess I have the benefit of hindsight (with a side of ignorance). I don't feel like a guinea pig at this point. The shot has gone out, the myths have been debunked, and...drumroll please...it's just exactly like the regular flu shot.


I'm pregnant, in my second tri. I'm at risk. And the stories I've heard, not just about hospitalizations, but about pregnant women with the flu, have been compelling. One woman described how even though she was one of the lucky ones - not hospitalized - she had to subject her baby to not only extra category C drugs and a 5-day fever of around 101, but also x-rays of her chest to find out if she had pneumonia. I just know I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I got the flu, or if my baby did, and something like this happened.

I also won't be able to forgive myself if this vax does something horrible to me or the baby. It really was a tough decision. And even my gut feeling (to just do it and forget about it) made me panicky. But now it's done. It's the morning after and I've had ZERO side effects. I always feel like I've won the damn lottery when my outcome in a specific situation during pregnancy is the "average."