11 weeks pregnant and been offered the flu jab through work, lots of conflicting advice on the net, what do you think?

[not12weeksyet]

I'm normally of very good health but this pregnancy I'm suffering from hyperemesis which makes me worry that my immune system won't be as sturdy as it usually is. Would this be a factor in deciding whether to have the jab or not? I know it's not a live vaccine but there are still stories about of it making people ill.

My doctor recommended it but my midwife says there can be risks and it's personal choice.

The jabs are tomorrow and I've not got to the 'safe' 12 week mark yet.

If I didn't have the jab and I got flu (never had it before) I'd obviously feel like crap and need time off work but would there be a danger to my baby?

NHS website (obviously pro-vaccination) comments section is full of rants and horror stories from posters.

What are others doing?

Did you have the swine flu jab last year? if you have then theres no need to have this years seasonal flu jab.

"Also, this winter (2010-11), the seasonal flu vaccine will be offered to pregnant women not in the high-risk groups who have not previously been vaccinated against H1N1 (swine) flu." from NHS direct
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Flu-jab/Pages/Whyitshouldbedone.aspx

I had swine flu jab last year through work, am 22 weeks now and haven't been offered it again.

Sorry - I don't want to upset people and I don't want to frighten them into having the jab. Its more that before it happened to me, DH and I hadn't even considered loosing our baby as a possibility should I come down with swine flu. I don't think what happened to us is common, thankfully, but it is possible and therefore something that people need to be aware of.

Sincerely hoping that you all avoid as many complications of pregnancy as possible and go on to have beautiful bouncing babies :)

coraltoes I am worried that your GP says there have been no cases of H1N1 swine flu this year. He should really read the Health protection authority email that is sent to GPs and the press every week that states how many recorded (ie tested) cases there are. Here is the extract from this weeks.

Two (5.9%) of thirty four specimens taken in week 45 through English GP sentinel surveillance tested positive for influenza (one influenza B and one Influenza H1N1 (2009)) (table 1). Of 517 respiratory specimens reported to the English Data Mart system as taken in week 45, ten (1.9%) were positive for influenza (seven H1N1 (2009), one influenza A nonsubtyped and two influenza B) (figure 2).

Bear in mind that these cases would have lkely been hospitalised cases - hence the testing. They would only test someone that was seriously ill.

Also, the flu jab this year is a combined jab, it is not the same one that was stockpiled last year. So to says that the NHS are trying to get rid of it is completely untrue, especially as they will have to pay the doctors to administer it? Why would they want to do that??

Sorry I should have said the jab my gp was offering me was ONLY swine flu!! I had a mare with her to be honest ...she really didnt understand what was going on, hence inspired zero confidence from me!

Maybe I will go back for a second opinion...

coraltoes when was this? I'm currently 17 weeks and at my booking appointment I was under the impression that what they were offering was just the swine flu jab similar to last year. However, by the time I got round to deciding that I should have it which was at 15 weeks they gave me the combined vaccine, which makes me think this is quite a recent change. So probably would be worth getting a second/ newer opinion.

my booking appointment was at 10 weeks btw

(sorry I don't seem to be able to post without making mistakes today!!)

I'm 33 weeks now and had the combined seasonal flu + swine flu jab that is being offered. I'm not in the UK so no NHS pressure to have it. Spoke to my brit OB and my aussie GP and both strongly suggested it as getting flu while preg is far worse than getting it when not preg as poor Tangle's story says.

I have the flu jab every single year and I NEVER get flu. I've never had a reaction to it other than a painful arm for a few days. OH gets the jab some years and every year he does he is flu free and every year he doesn't he gets flu. Perhaps this is just OH and I but I'm firmly in the get your flu jab camp.

I also simply don't believe in modern litigious society that the NHS would suggest something they don't stand firmly behind.

coraltoes your GP doesn't seem to be up to date with the 2010/2011 flu programme.

Pregnant women who haven't previously received single swine flu vaccine are to be offered the seasonal flu jab, because it contains swine flu element.

Your GP shouldn't be offering you the single swine flu vaccine as that is only being offered to a very small subset of immunocompromised people in conjunction with the seasonal flu jab.

it was last week! Agree GP prob out of date (she looked out of date too). I'll go back soon to sort it. thanks girls! :)

I'm 27 weeks and haven't been offered the flu jab yet. Undecided about whether I would want it, but who is supposed to offer it? Does it come from MW, or GP? Although I haven't seen GP?

D

Deliaskis your midwife should make you aware of it, it will be available through your GP.

Some surgeries write to eligible patients but this is really expensive so many practices will

put a reminder on your repeat prescription (if applicable)
have posters up in surgery (not much use if you don't go there!)
assume you know you need it via the press, media, MW, HV etc (the most common way!)

Deliaksis I just phoned my surgery and asked for it - I think it's pretty standard for it to be offered to pregnant women.

Tangle, I am so sorry to hear what happened to you. Unfortunately that happened to several pregnant women during the pandemic last year.
I've just had my flu jab this morning, am 28+3 and a medical journalist.
Things to remember:
Its early in the season yet so GPs won't be seeing flu cases yet.
Its not the same vaccine as the 'controversial' swine flu one last year.
Swine flu is expected to be around this year - it hit Australia fairly hard again in their winter and this is taken to be a good indicator for ours.
Pregnant women are more susceptible and can suffer more complications.
Having it will give your newborn some protection to.
Lots of other countries including the USA routinely vaccinate pregnant women against flu and have done for years. It is just that this is the first time the UK has offered seasonal flu to pregnant women in a national programme.
If you don't want to have it at work now and want to wait until after 12 weeks, your GP surgery will be offering it to you soon anyway.

I had my flu jab at my booking appointment at 8 weeks and no averse effects.

I always take my midwife's advice with a grain of salt, and an obstetrician or GP's advice always trumps hers in my books.

My midwife didn't actually know the answer to this question so she "phoned a friend". The colleague said it's not only ok to have a jab, it is advised. They do suggest you wait until 12 weeks and the only reason for that is the risk of miscarriage is high anyway and many women would falsely attribute the miscarriage to the flu jab and feel guilty about it, so they advise to wait for psychological reasons.

I've never asked a GP or obstetrician but I am planning on making an appointment for the jab through my GP in the coming week or two as I catch everything and don't want to be pregnant AND ill. I am 10 weeks.

I had the combined flu jab at my GP's when I was 13 weeks (I'm now 18 weeks) - on the advice of my GP and my specialist. It is protocol in my PCT that all pregnant women should be encouraged to have the combined jab on or after 12 weeks (but certainly not before just due to the increased general risk of other things going wrong, which they obviously don't want to be wrongly attributed to the flu jab).

I have the flu jab every year as I'm a health professional, and the only slight 'symptom' of it Ive ever had has been a slightly achey patch on your arm for 24 hourse, which I think is very preferable to a serious bout of flu.

My own personal feelings are that we are incredibly fortunate in our developed, western and relatively affluent society to be offered free innoculations against routine yet potentially life-threatening conditions from which pregnant woment in third- and second- world countries regularly die.

...I don't feel I can look that particular gift-horse in the mouth, but I appreciate it is a very personal decision and some people feel generally more jittery about health interventions and injections than I do.

I lost my otherwise fit and healthy 60year-old football-playing uncle to pneumonia last winter following a bout of normal seasonal flu, so I'm taking no chances with mine or my baby's health this winter and so far (touch wood) the jab has left me feeling fit, healthy and completely sniffle-free.

One thing to reassure you is that 12 weeks is not the "safe point". It is more like 9/10 weeks. A lot of people only find out that they have miscarried at the 12 week scan as it is a "missed misscarriage". I.E the embryonic matter is retained. The actual miscarriage will normally have happened around 7-10 weeks. I believe that if the embryo is healthy at 11 weeks, it has as much chance of reaching term as an embryo at 18 weeks.

this thread may be of interest

lifescomplicated did you have the swine flu jab last year? and they still advised you to have this years?
I know it is not been offered to women who had the swine flu jab last year, (I am one of them) Therefore will last years jab protect me for this pregnancy too?

I had it but I made sure I had it after 12 weeks (at 14 actually).

Hi there,
I'm 10 weeks, it's my 1st time being PG. I'm researching as much as I can . I'm due to have flu jab this Friday . I'm usually very fit and healthy I've got a cold (Standard TA 1/2 term cold!)
I don't know what to do for the best ..?

If you are asking for people's opinions, then mine is that the best thing to do is get the jab, no question. The risks and potential consequences of getting flu are far greater than any possible risks of getting the jab. The flu vaccine won't cause any harm to you or your baby.

I would trust your doctor over your midwife. I have heard horror stories about midwives not being up to date on current advice (including my nurse), which is that you can and should have the flu jab at any stage of pregnancy. I had mine in the first trimester, had no ill side effects, and my midwife was very pleased that I had.

I think you have the right plan, but should get it as soon after your 12wk scan as possible. My midwife said the 2nd trimester was better, not because of risks, but because the placenta was up and running and the baby would hopefully gain more immunity, so be protected if they catch it when they are teeny or if they are vulnerable in some way.

I think they also wanted to avoid people blaming the jab when something else had gone wrong but wasn't detected until the 12wk scan.