Official NHS advice says vaccine recommended at any stage of pregnancy. Is this right?

[ElmMum]

I've been reading a long thread in the pregnancy message board and following links to other sources. (Still only on page 7 of 29 pages of messages!)

Seems that back in October, the NHS advice was to vaccinate pregnant women after 13 weeks but the current advice online (repeated to me by my GP reading from the website - useless!) is that it's safe at any stage.

I'm almost decided to have the vaccine and will definitely be vaccinating my 20mo DD (although my GP surgery is currently out of vaccine and doesn't know when the next lot will arrive). But I don't know whether to wait til the 2nd trimester.

Does anyone have any links to recent advice about this? Looking for 'facts' rather than opinion if possible.

Many thanks

I was in exactly your position before Christmas. It was very frustrating nit being able to get a decent explanation about why itcwas safe.

I found out this:

1. In the states they have vaccinated first trimester women against seasonal flu for years safely.

2 the swine flu vaccine is not just seasonal flu with different DNA as they have to show more of it to the immune system because it is all so new.

3 the model that it is based on was used to test SARS (but obv not in pregnant women)

4 pregnant women can get seriously I'll with swine flu -much higher rate of catching it, being admitted to hospital, being admitted to itu and ultimately dying (sorry can't remeber the figures)

5 Hypothetically you are constantly exposed to bugs when pregnant and this is just another introduced in different way. Whereas tamiflu is a horrible chemical that may well get into baby's system.

6 sweden had a big vaccination campaign and followed up carefully. By now some of those women should have delivered their babies so it might be worth looking for the results of that.

So overall no reason to think it should be dangerous - but proving safety is another kettle of fish.

I had it in the end. Am now 20 weeks.

Good luck with the decision.

novax, you're in for a long old night if you intend on bumping every damn swine flu thread. Give it a rest for goodness sake

Okay then if you lot would rather live with vaccine injuries and in ignorance. Is Mumsnet
financed by the medical mafia or something? You people disgust me!