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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Flu Jab inc H1N1 strain

50 replies

cotswolder · 20/10/2010 11:53

I've just received letter from local surgery saying they are inviting preg women in for Flu Vacc which inlcud H1N1 strain, on basis of DoH recommendation.

Anyone else had this or know of any issues with it?

Letter is not forcing the issue - rather asking that if I want the jab then to contact local surgery.............

never thought about it before now......

OP posts:

roulade · 21/10/2010 16:44

lucieloo I finally heard back from the practice manager after she managed to get an answer from the doctor. Apparently he said there is conflicting advice and so the surgery's policy is not to vaccinate pregnant women at the moment. I told the manager that I would discuss it with the midwife at my appointment in two weeks and she said that maybe after I have done so they can have a meeting to discuss it!

nocake · 21/10/2010 17:05

My DW (29 weeks) had a flu jab at work last week. She had to let them know she was pregnant but it was done by the same nurse who did everyone else's.

lucielooo · 21/10/2010 17:38

roulade I amazed they haven't already had their meeting to discuss seeing as some practices seem to be well under way with vaccinating! Be interested in where the advice came from not to and on what basis that your GP has had!!

roulade · 21/10/2010 19:07

Especially since the guidelines say the best time to have it is between September and November before "flu season" starts eh?

tlise · 22/11/2010 09:26

hi, was just looking for advice as I am going through the same thing lol. And noticed you said about doctors only giving it, must be a practice thing as I am booked in normally with someone who isn't even a nurse but has been trained to do blood tests and injections :)

valentinemum10 · 22/11/2010 09:41

im due a Swine flu jab next week & in 2 minds about It but i cant bear to think of the worst case scenario...i work with the public everyday& deal with snotty germ ridden members too...i dread getting a cold but all that concerns me is if the vaccine may have adverse effects on the baby in years to come. we don't know....DO WE?

tlise · 22/11/2010 09:52

From what I have read they have been giving the flu Jab for years in the US...but its not just getting a cold, its flu which is far worse. Have you talked to your midwife Valentinemum? she (hopefully) should be the best person to advise.

Kiki84 · 22/11/2010 10:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thefurryone · 22/11/2010 10:44

I had it a couple of weeks ago, though for some unexplained reason I had to go to the ante-natal clinic and be given it by a mid-wife.

I did also have should I, shouldn't I thoughts but for me it came down to reports of confirmed swine flu cases in my local area, the fact that through work I have a high chance of coming into contact with people who have it and the consequences of getting flu being a lot worse than the consequences of having the vaccine.

Had no adverse side effects apart from having to go to bed even earlier on the day I had it.

Snuppeline · 22/11/2010 10:59

Just wanted to add that I allowed my dd to take part in a study assessing the child swineflu vaccine last year, she was 1 years old and I was petrified that she'd catch the swine flu but since there wasn't jabs to be had for those outside the vulnerable groups I entered her into this medical trial. It was really well organised, they even sent out letters informing the parents of whether or not the immunisation had worked (based on a follow up blood test).So it protects a one year old. There's all reason therefore to believe that vaccinating the mother also protects the foetus and the newborn too. Which I think has been found in studies too.
Hope that anecdote is useful in making your decisions.

It seems they are expecting the swine flu to come back this winter and the government is considering including it in the seasonal flue jab. As part of last years study we were invited back to see if the swine flu jab given last year still protects against the swine flu plus to get the new seasonal flue jab with the swine flu element, they will then check to see how well this new vaccine works too. Happy to let you all know what we're told at the end of the trial.

MedicalEd · 22/11/2010 11:12

Midwives and GPs who are not aware of the current national flu vaccination programme really make me angry. It is their job to know who should and shouldn't be having the vaccine and we have enough appointments and things to arrange without them messing us around as well.
I had mine at work last week (at 28 weeks).
Lots of places offer the vaccine so if you are getting messed around by your surgery just go to one of the high street pharmacists.
Sorry rant over, feel better now.

GlitteryBalls · 22/11/2010 14:29

Yes I was talking to an occupational nurse today and he said that flu jab was not advised for pg women unless they have other rick factors such as asthma etc. and that the vaccine is a "live" vaccine i.e. contains the actual virus.

I have just quickly googled it and found that the NHS choices website states clearly that ALL pg women should get it and that it is an inactivated virus. Wish they'd get their facts straight!!!

Sidge · 22/11/2010 14:33

Glittery that OH nurse is wrong and his information needs updating.

All pregnant women this year are being offered the flu vaccine to protect them against H1N1 flu, as you have read.

And it's definitely not a live vaccine. I think you should go back to that nurse and tell him to get updated on current guidelines!! (Hope to goodness he's not giving the flu jabs if he has no idea what he's talking about...)

GlitteryBalls · 22/11/2010 14:51

Just made an apt with the nurse. Have also read latest official advice from DoH, and if that's their advice then that's good enough for me. Can't believe I haven't actually been offered it yet. Have read that women in 3rd trimester are particularly at risk of complications and as I am due in Jan, my 3rd trimester just about covers the peak flu season! No midwife/dr I have seen so far has mentioned it - but when I called GP surgery just now, receptionist booked me in with no questions asked. Seems we have to take the initiative and be proactive girls!

GlitteryBalls · 22/11/2010 14:54

And Sidge, yes he is doing jabs! Reason I brought it up with him is he had some vaccines delivered here and I had to keep them in the fridge for him (I am currently working on a reception desk - but taking a year out of med school) so that prompted me to bring it up.

MedicalEd · 22/11/2010 15:08

I think its terrible, there is enough misinformation out there without so-called healthcare professionals spouting it as well.
They all get written to by the Department of Health and their PCT so there are no excuses for not knowing.
GlitteryBalls, I am the same as you - due first week of Feb and have had it at work because not heard a peep from GP surgery. We are at greater risk because our lungs are already compressed by size of the bump.
Imagine all those pregnant women who have not looked up all this stuff and are getting fobbed off by incompetant nurses, midwives and GPs. What happens if they get flu and end up in intensive care, or God forbid losing their babies.

Sidge · 22/11/2010 15:30

Crikey that's worrying - that he is giving vaccines and 1, has no idea what he's giving and 2, has no idea as to the targeted groups he should be giving it to.

GPs aren't necessarily writing to patients to invite them (we aren't, we don't have the funds to stamp over 2,000 letters) but midwives should certainly be informing all you pregnant ladies that you are eligible for the jab, especially as you are probably seeing them more often than you go to the GP.

Glittery maybe you could print this off for him

GlitteryBalls · 22/11/2010 15:41

I have found that I do need to be very "proactive" at my midwife apts, I try to look up in the NICE guidelines before each apt what they should be doing and what I should be getting in terms of forms etc otherwise they just seem to forget - I had to bring up antenatal classes or I wouldn't have been offered them etc.

I totally understand what you are saying about GP practices having to spend all that time/money sending out letters - it shouldn't be their sole responsibility. But the public health message should be generally more "out there" about this and less ambiguous - and the med profs themselves should be up to date! If, even I, as a medical student who tends to take more of an interest in these things was still left confused until I did my own research, then most people will definitely be confused and not getting the message!

Are you a GP Sidge?

Sidge · 22/11/2010 16:25

No not a GP, I just work for them! I'm a practice nurse.

I agree the message should be more 'out there' for pregnant women, I'm not sure why it isn't really. I would have thought midwives would be promoting the flu jab but they obviously aren't.

tlise · 22/11/2010 16:37

Sidge I am really surprised they aren't. I just assumed that because of the daft way they stagger appointments now, thats why I haven't heard anything.

Hubby was worried about me having it, obviously cos of bump...when we had the option for youngest son to have the swine flu, he didn't want him having it as it hadn't been tested over a length of time, which I can understand but it was his main worry with this one. Especially as inlaws have it every year then say they have "terrible flu" after. But she often has flu when I have cold, but she has a miracle one where she doesn't cough, sneeze or have a runny nose ;) And I must admit I was slightly concerned when I saw it inc swine flu...(tho I haven't told hubby that) but my reasoning is, I know they can be wrong, but they don't advise anything on pregnant women normally unless they are sure since all that over thalidomide (if thats how its spelt) so it must be ok. But also I volunteer in school 3 times a week, enough to worry about with scarlet fever there, and although I do have very mild asthma, its not normally there unless I start exercising madly (lol) but having high bp, my tablets already made me wheezy and breathless before pregnancy, its worse now. I don't want to put either of us at any more risk than we are.

GlitteryBalls · 22/11/2010 16:37

Cool. I've always wanted to be a GP and now I'm pregnant it makes even more sense. Always like the "atmosphere" in GP practices when I'm on placements and imagine it's somewhere I'll enjoy working. Hope your GPs are nice! My aunt's a receptionist and says most of them are lovely, but some of them can be a-holes!

In terms of the "message" it seems they were recommending the jab for all pregnant women last winter as well, so it's not as though it's new advice. You would have thought it had filtered down to everyone by now...

MedicalEd · 22/11/2010 17:00

GlitteryBalls, pregnant women were offered the swine flu pandemic vaccine last year. This is the first time they/we have been offered the seasonal flu vaccine in this country.
That's because swine flu is expected to be the dominant strain circulating this year (pandemic strains of flu just become 'seasonal flu' when they are no longer new) so it made sense to offer it to pregnant women.
The two vaccines are different, tlise, so the concerns about lack of testing ect don't really apply to this winter's one.
The seasonal flu vaccine changes every year to match the strains in circulation, its just this year, swine flu is expected to be back to its in the seasonal flu jab.

tlise · 22/11/2010 17:15

Thanks for that MedicalEd. I don't fully understand how its different but as long as its safe thats all that matters :)The trouble is wherever you look there are always some that have something sensible to say....and those who don't and it doesn't help when you are trying to research it :(

MedicalEd · 22/11/2010 17:22

Tlise Its a bit boring but in a nutshell, the pandemic vaccine was made differently using a 'booster' to make the bit that gives you immunity go further so they could make millions of doses very quickly and it was just the H1N1 strain in that vaccine.
The seasonal flu jabs don't have the 'booster' and contain three strains which the World Health Organisation thinks are going to be a problem that year.
Both versions are inactivated, meaning you cannot catch flu from them.

tlise · 22/11/2010 17:39

Ah, I see....thanks for that :D

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