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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Swine Flu Jab

23 replies

VegasBride · 27/07/2010 14:19

Hello aLL I have been recommended by my midwife to have the swine flu jab, Is anyone else having this?????

OP posts:

cardamomginger · 27/07/2010 14:25

Had mine at 6 weeks preggers (now 31). Am glad I did cos friend's baby came down with it a few weeks ago and there was a huge panic about contacting preggers friends she/he had been in contact with. TBH I didn't hesitate to have it - it can be very serious for you and unborn baby if you get it. There are quite a few threads on here thrashing out the pros and cons of the jab, if you do a search. Congrats BTW!!

DetectivePotato · 27/07/2010 19:28

I'm going to have it. I am 12 weeks tomorrow and I due to see my midwife in 4 weeks. I'm going to speak to her then about it.

I haven't heard of any negative stories about pregnant (or anyone) having the jab but I have heard of pregnant women and their babies dying through swine flu. Just not worth the risk.

ZippyPippy · 27/07/2010 19:35

When I asked my midwife about it she looked at me like I was mad and said 'well I haven't heard that one in a while' and referred me to speak to my GP about it!

Am keen to have it and the normal flu one - have people been recommended to have this too?

DetectivePotato · 27/07/2010 19:36

I got a letter about both of them but it was before I saw the doc about being pregnant so I have basically been offered them but I wanted to wait until I was past the 1st trimester, just in case.

websticks · 27/07/2010 19:40

I asked my midwife at booking in appointment and she looked at me like i was mad! said oh they are not doing them any more. So looks like i wont be having mine! (currently 19 weeks)

ZippyPippy · 27/07/2010 19:43

Is ridiculous the conflicting advice on this isn't it?!

nunnie · 27/07/2010 20:20

I rang as no one mentioned it and I wanted it, and was told the surgery had sent the remaining vaccines back and were no longer offering it.

wigglesrock · 27/07/2010 20:25

I am being offered it after 12 weeks, and think I'm going to take it, my midwife said they are slightly concerned that they may be a rise in cases in September but tbf they may just be looking to get rid of vaccines!!

My other 2 dcs had the vaccinations last winter as they were both under 5 and my best friend had it when she was pregnant last year.

ethelina · 27/07/2010 20:39

The surgery where I work gave up offering swine flu vaccs back in March as there just wasn't the demand any more. Out of the original 500 we got sent, we used less than a third, and sent the rest back a while ago.

I thought they were incorporating the H1N1 strain in with the normal flu vacc for the coming autumn, as its really just another strain like all the others in there. Might be wrong about the last bit tho as just started mat leave and not fully up to date.

Have to say even tho as NHS staff I was offered it, it was never mentioned once by my own surgery or MW, even at the height of the outbreak...

japhrimel · 27/07/2010 20:52

I don't think it's available round here atm, but making it included in the seasonal flu vaccine makes sense - and that one they have to re-engineer every year pretty much.

If I can get it, I will.

edeluna · 27/07/2010 21:03

I asked my GP when I saw her around 5 weeks and she also looked surprised and said swine flu has disappeared.

I had just read an article about how it might make another appearance this winter, though. She didn't seem convinced, but I won't be surprised if it does resurface and the advice to pregnant women changes again.

Original poster

VegasBride · 28/07/2010 14:20

Thanks all, I was given an info pack at my first scan with a flyer recommendin the vaccine but there is alot of conflicting info on the web and nothing recent. My Doctors are not offering it it is done in the ante natal ward of my hospital. My MW also said they thought there was to be a rise after September and to get it done before then. Thanks again all

OP posts:

5DollarShake · 28/07/2010 14:34

They are predicting another rise, come autumn/winter.

I am 39 weeks today and had it at 10 weeks. DS had I had both just recovered from horrendous colds, and I just knew that I didn't want to go through that (or worse) again in a hurry!

LolaKnickers · 28/07/2010 16:43

No one has even mentioned this to me; I didn't know they were still doing the jabs!

Marrow · 28/07/2010 20:51

I had a letter the other week advising me to have the swine flu jab.I did a lot of research into it and read a lot of old threads on here and decided that I should probably have it.

I had an appt with the GP that week for something else and mentioned it to her then. She looked pretty amazed I was considering getting it done, said there was no swine flu around and that if she was me she wouldn't have it done! Such conflicting messages! I now don't know what I'm going to do.

DuelingFanjo · 28/07/2010 22:17

I haven't been offered it but doubt I will take them up on it if they do offer.

MrsSnaplegs · 28/07/2010 22:43

I had it last year pre pregnancy for other reasons, if I hadn't I would be having it by choice. I suspect this will be the main strain of this years winter flu cases.

ReshapeWhileDamp · 29/07/2010 22:52

I can't believe the differing reactions from HCPs! I asked my MW and she said - well, you have to weigh up the risks inherent in any vaccine, with the risks of coming into contact with SF, and to talk to my GP.

TBH, I think I should get it - people were convinced it was going to reappear this autumn/winter along with normal seasonal flu strains, weren't they? I'm due at the end of December, so very much into the flu season. (I have a needle phobia and hate the very idea of being jabbed, but that's another story. )

addie81 · 29/07/2010 22:55

My siblings are both doctors and they advised me not to have the injection - so I didn't.

DuelingFanjo · 29/07/2010 23:04

weren't people convinced of the same last year?

addie what were their reasons?

addie81 · 31/07/2010 22:49

their thinking was that because it is a new vaccine (or technically a manipulated new version of an older vaccine), there is no way that anyone can confirm that it is safe, particularly in early pregnancy. The chances of you getting seriously ill from swine flu are very low - although of course it could happen. A compromise would be to wait till the end of the first trimester and have it then - much less likely to have a teratogenic effect on your fetus after the first 12 weeks. Plus, having the vaccine itself can you make you ill - give you mild flu symptoms and a temperature - also best avoided in early pregnancy

LittleB · 01/08/2010 22:08

I had it before I started ttc, wanted to speak to my gp before coming off the pill due to treatment I had last year and I asked about the swine flu vaccine then, so he booked me in, I had it, dd (who was 4 then also had it) we were both fine, but I'm glad I had it pre-pregnancy. That was in January though.

Zimm · 02/08/2010 16:36

I am 38 weeks and so was in the first trimester when swine flu was at it's peak. However I choose not to have it - as far as I was concerned it was an untested vaccine and I felt my individual chances of catching swine flu were low, so decided not to risk it. My midwife agreed with my decision to wait until after the first trimester as did a GP friend - the risks from flu are greater when the baby is bigger and pressing on your lungs. By the time I was past 13 weeks swine flu had died down so i didn't think about it anymore. It was a difficult decision at the time though because my male GP just recited the policy of telling me have it and the midwife was saying something different!

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