Flu shot? Are you getting one?

[Skippy918]

I'm on the fence about this and I'm not sure what to do. I've read that there's a high death rate among pg women who get swine flu, but also nervous that the swine flu was never tested in pg women and I'm worried about the side effects.
What is everyone else doing?

Anyone know the prevalence of swine flu this year?

[Aliy]

ddcc....

no way no how no one is touching me with that stuff. it's not tested and the flu shot is just what they predict the 3 most prevalant strains to be. It doesn't prevent you form getting sick the flu virus changes as it moves, it's a mutating virus.

good hygiene and staying away from places where you'll find lots of sick people and taking good care of your self making sure you are keeping up on your vitamins and all that sort of stuff is what I do. if my kids are sick I keep them home. if i'm sick i stay home. I also try and stay away from excessively large groups of people.

[~Amy~]

No, I'm not.

[~Demeter~]

DDCC

Nope... I don't get them not pregnant, either. My kids don't get one, nor does my husband. In fact, most people I know that do get one are often sick shortly afterward and have issues all winter long. I prefer to take my vitamins, eat well, take care of myself, get enough rest, etc. Much of the hype about swine flu was just that... hype. The media really made it out to be way worse than it was. The science behind the shot isn't all that accurate either, it's all guesswork. I have other issues with the flu shot but those are the main ones.

[allical1284]

Originally Posted by ~Demeter~

Nope... I don't get them not pregnant, either. My kids don't get one, nor does my husband. In fact, most people I know that do get one are often sick shortly afterward and have issues all winter long. I prefer to take my vitamins, eat well, take care of myself, get enough rest, etc. Much of the hype about swine flu was just that... hype. The media really made it out to be way worse than it was. The science behind the shot isn't all that accurate either, it's all guesswork. I have other issues with the flu shot but those are the main ones.

100%

[misskira]

I'm the one yes, lol. But I am a special education teacher at a public school with over 500 kids and my son goes to daycare. So I will be getting it next week.

[jenniferadurham]

He** no.


If the needle is not giving me meds through an iv or taking blood...it's not going in me or my family. Other than dh...he works in surgery. But I hate...hate...that he has to get one. Hate.

[Neuromancer]

I've never gotten one before. My primary care physician said to get one this year because I'm pregnant. My midwife said she doesn't recommend or not recommend them -- that it's up to me. I was most convinced by my midwife saying it hadn't been the standard of care long enough for her to feel everyone needs one. Three years ago, my best friend had a pregnancy where a complication (that never happened) was expected. She saw her doctor every week for most of the pregnancy. This was a very mainstream doctor. He never suggested she get the flu shot.

Add all this to the fact that the virus mutates, that I don't work with (or yet have) children or work in medicine, and that I rarely get sick -- and when I do it's never enough to even miss a day of work, and I think I'm skipping the flu shot.
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[Liora]

Not for a million dollars.

[mommaduck]

No way, no how. However, our family did come down with the flu last week. I feel safer just dealing with it than with the shot. Anyone in my husband's family that gets the flu shot, always gets the flu worse than most...and they continue to get it (I just don't get their thinking).

[hannybanany]

Nope.

[MamaMonica]

Moved to Vaccinations, as this is where flu shot discussions take place.

[Ola_]

I'm not planning on it, but DH has really been trying to convince me to. Apparently there's a recent study on native american women (if I recall correctly?) which showed that the babies born to vaccinated women have lower risks of infection and hospitalization.

My plan is to work from home as much as I can (to avoid sick people on the commute and at the office), wash hands lots, and load up on vit. D supplements (which worked really well for me last year). And I don't like that the H1N1 is now included in the regular flu shot and it hasn't been tested on pregnant women. Plus they guess the viruses to include in the shot way early in the year to give time for production, and it seems often they guess wrong and it doesn't help you much. Well, I'm just not a fan.

[midwestmeg]

Yeah, dh gets it... but I think he gets sick more than we do, hahaha.

I don't have a strict work schedule, so my job is my kids; I figure we have time to be sick. Plus, if we take care of ourselves I find we don't get sick too much anyway.

I don't think the flu shot is very effective. I'm one of the old stories 'got it once and got sicker than a dog.' So, I tried it 10 years ago and decided just dealing with what came my way was better.

[kittywitty]

Good lord, no, I'm not. You couldn't pay me to get it.

[carriebft]

I voted yes. This is only our second year of getting the flu shot. I feel that flu shots are not useful in children under the age of 2 and, in addition, I feel that there is absolutely no study on flu shots in the first trimester (we have studies on the other trimesters or studies that most people were not in first, kwim?) so I wouldn't do it then either.

Some reasons we have changed our mind are the kids being in school, my best friends' son having horrible asthma (spent many weeks in CHOP last winter ), illness in relatives, holiday travel, having a baby during flu season, and also I feel more comfortable with them now that I have seen some of the studies. I also am more comfortable with the efficacy of the flu mist shot over the injections for the kids...plus there's no pain involved so that is easier on us as well.

I am in my later second trimester, so I was comfortable getting the injection. My arm was sore for a few hours and that has been my only side effect. I was also heartened by the study that came out a week or so ago about the flu shot during pregnancy protecting the newborn from flu as well. We are big on "cocooning" here.

I think if our risk situation changed next year, I would change my mind again. But since our babe will not be two yet and will not be receiving one next year, we may do it again for the cocooning affect.

[carriebft]

Originally Posted by Ola_

I'm not planning on it, but DH has really been trying to convince me to. Apparently there's a recent study on native american women (if I recall correctly?) which showed that the babies born to vaccinated women have lower risks of infection and hospitalization.

Yes, this is correct. Here is an article on it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11471311

[MountainMamaGC]

I just got a BFP. I plan on doing elderberry losenges and vitmamin D for my pregncancy.

As for the Native American study, maybe the women who get vaccinated on the reserves are more likely to take care of themselves during pregnancy. People on reserves here dont have the best track record of taking care of themselves.

[babygrant]

I am required by my job to get the flu shot, but I don't get it. I'm just not allowed to work during an outbreak but thankfully we are in the financial situation where I don't NEED to work. I did get the flu shot when my husband was layed off and I had to work. I've NEVER been so sick before. That winter I was sick pretty much steady for a few month. It sucked!

[~PurityLake~]

No way! Never have, never will, whether it be bird flu, swine flu, raccoon flu, or fish flu. Never gonna happen.