Swine Flu Vax

[guitarmama]

Hello, and welcome to the can of worms. So, what do you all think? I know there are a lot of very interesting threads about this on the vax forum, but I'm not so vehemently opposed to vaxes as some people. We've severely delayed w/ dd (in fact, she just got her first ever shot today at 3.5 yrs), but have always intended to at least partially vax her. I am worried about this new one, though. They are starting testing, but it's going to be so rushed. And will we know how it will affect our fetuses? I'm feeling like I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. I'd like to hear some thoughts from those of you who, like me, are skeptical but not totally anti-vax. I want to avoid this thread becoming an argument about the safety of vaxes in general. That's what the vax forum is for. So, here we go....

[Dea]

I'm going to avoid it.
I don't think that the swine flu is as horrible as the hype is making it to be. I think that good overall health is the best prevention.

[geekgolightly]

I vax my son on time, and might delay with the baby, and do not normally get flu vaccines for myself despite my being a nurse.

But now that I am pregnant, and working in a Medical ICU, if there begin to be documented cases of H1N1 in my area, I might get the H1N1 vaccine.

Here is a thread from allnurses about pregnancy and H1N1
http://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-fo...lu-399332.html

[Kidzaplenty]

Even if I were not anti-vax, I don't like the idea of being a guinea pig for a drug company, no matter their reasons.

[nummies]

Originally Posted by Kidzaplenty

Even if I were not anti-vax, I don't like the idea of being a guinea pig for a drug company, no matter their reasons.

I agree with this 100000%.

[indigoscot]

i also agree with jenny.

g

[smokeylo]

I'm not anti-vax (we do a delayed/selective schedule with dd) but I honestly don't understand the point of this vaccine. Swine flu is not that serious. I can't imagine that a woman, pregnant or not, in good health, is that seriously threatened by it. I don't get the regular flu shot and I certainly won't get the swine flu shot (it is being tested in my area).

[mymary]

Originally Posted by smokeylo

I'm not anti-vax (we do a delayed/selective schedule with dd) but I honestly don't understand the point of this vaccine. Swine flu is not that serious. I can't imagine that a woman, pregnant or not, in good health, is that seriously threatened by it. I don't get the regular flu shot and I certainly won't get the swine flu shot (it is being tested in my area).

They are testing it in your area? They have some ready already? Who are they testing it on? Volunteers?

[greenidahomama]

I wasn't planning on it since there aren't that many cases of it in our state. I don't work in a high traffic area where I see lots of people everyday, so I'm leaning way far toward no.

[AfricanQueen99]

We're selective/delayed, too, but don't do the flu vax. So I wouldn't do this one because 1. it doesn't fit in my criteria of what we will get, 2. I don't want any chemicals in me while pregnant, 3. I don't believe H1N1 to be that serious, and 4. I refuse to be a guinea pig.

My OB didn't even bring it up to me since he knew what I would say...

[jtrt]

We will practice good hand washing and stay out of high traffic areas. I am happy we homeschool so I don't have that exposure risk to worry about. This vaccine is untested and I certainly would not risk it.

Amy

[scarletjane]

I'm not completely anti-vax; I support them where they're warranted. But I will not be getting this one. I'm not worried about getting H1N1, as my chances are statistically low and it is my opinion that the risks outweigh any potential benefit.

In answer to the OP's question about whether it will be tested so that we can know about potential risks to the fetus.... no, we will not find out that information. In research, it is considered unethical to do any testing/research on pregnant women, so any potential risks to the unborn baby will remain unknown.

My prevention tactics include eating well and washing my hands!

I hope everyone stays well!

[geekgolightly]

Originally Posted by smokeylo

I'm not anti-vax (we do a delayed/selective schedule with dd) but I honestly don't understand the point of this vaccine. Swine flu is not that serious. I can't imagine that a woman, pregnant or not, in good health, is that seriously threatened by it. I don't get the regular flu shot and I certainly won't get the swine flu shot (it is being tested in my area).

I don't know if you know, but if pregnant, especially in 2nd or 3rd trimester you are more likely to have complications than the general population, and mortality rate is higher than the general population. It also greatly increases the chances of miscarriage no matter what trimester you are in.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/28...ant/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/clinician_pregnant.htm

[seaheroine]

With only minimal safety and efficacy testing on this particular vaccine, I really cannot imagine injecting myself and developing child. I mean, they have no idea what can/will happen to a developing child exposed to this new vaccine during prenatal development.

All of the pregnancy articles regarding it are quite scary -- probably some typical fear-mongering going on, along with what is potentially an increased risk. Aren't preggos in general dealing with reduced immune capacity? Being in the physical state we're in, there isn't much we can do. The vaccine is an absolute NO in my book.

I really wish I could have titers run to see if any of us have been exposed. Living in California near the Mexico border, there was quite a bit of it around here. We've been sick a few times this year, mildly, and I wonder if any of it was actual exposure.

Like others, we're planning on continuing to eat well, hand wash and probably up our intake of ascorbic acid.

[sunshadow]

I hate the way the media is reporting this. It's total fear mongering! They are not giving us the facts we need to make a smart decision. The case I know of a pregnant woman getting it, she was misdiagnosed until it got life threatening. It sounds like for one, you are not likely to get it, for two, if you get treatment right away you will recover. I don't have enough faith in our vaccination system with it's history of problems to be one of the first guinea pigs for this new vax. Especially not when I am pregnant. I too wish I could have titers run.

[studentmomma]

vitamin d-3

So glad you ladies brought this up! It has been nagging me.

I had a friend just point me to this: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.ph...u=_da1Y&ref=nf I hope that link works.

I'm definitely going to try this before any marginally tested, rushed vax that may or may not prevent an albeit very scary not totally understood disease .

[bekkie]

I won't be getting it... I refused to when I wasn't pregnant and am even more against it (personally) now - I've heard of too many people getting sick from getting flu vaccines.. I'll stick with avoiding heavily crowded areas, using my sanitizing spray, and living as healthy as possible

[Mirrormonkey]

I will not get it, not worth the risk imo.

[lilith1]

Originally Posted by geekgolightly

I vax my son on time, and might delay with the baby, and do not normally get flu vaccines for myself despite my being a nurse.

But now that I am pregnant, and working in a Medical ICU, if there begin to be documented cases of H1N1 in my area, I might get the H1N1 vaccine.

Here is a thread from allnurses about pregnancy and H1N1
http://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-fo...lu-399332.html

I agree.
I work with a population that travels frequently over the border, with a weakened imunsystem by definition. Should cases appear in the area, I will get the vaccine. In general, I don't bedevil vaccines as much if they are warranted. In my conscience this one is.
But I agree, standard precautions such as hand washing should be priority preventing illness, any illness for that matter. If someone can isolate their family, great, unthinkable for us, we both work in health care. We don't own a TV so media hype doesn't affect us. Yet, it appears as this flu is a bit out of the ordinary.
Tough call.

[Owlpainter]

My sister works for the local press and just attended a meeting in our community concerning the H1N1 concern. She said that pregnant women would be the first to receive this vaccine, as they are at highest risk. My midwife has not brought it up and initially I was not considering, as I have never gotten a flu vaccine. I rarely get sick and three of my children attend public school...but I don't know about this swine flu thing. I am going to check out the links you all have provided and look into it more thoroughly.