Is swine flu still going round?

[NeverKissPigs]

I'm 20wks pregnant and didn't have a vaccine during the winter months as the surgery had run out. The midwife was very reassuring that I 'probably' wouldn't get it.

I've seen my Dad this weekend who has (as well as my db and dn) a flu type virus. Actual flu, not man flu. He's achy, sweaty, hot, shivery, coughing, being sick intermittently, too weak to do much other than visit the bathroom and that REALLY takes it out of him. DB and DN had the same symptoms. He's just starting to come out of the high fever bit but he's still very weak and sore.

I've started feeling a bit strange today. Slightly fuzzy head, scratchy throat, bit hot and cold. Ordinarily, I wouldn't worry and assume that it's just a virus but being pregnant and a bit of a muppet, that small voice in the back of my head is twittering on about swine flu.

DH suggested going to the GP but I suspect they'd do nothing bar saying keep an eye on it and it's probably a non-specific virus?

What is happening with swine flu? Is it dormant again? I'd google but I've done that before. Didn't go too well.

Have you all spontaneously collapsed under a fresh onslaught of swine flu?

Or is it old news and therefore nobody's heard of it.

It's mutated hasn't it? You're all in cardboard boxes, nestled in straw, battling tortoise flu aren't you? Hence your inability to reply to my scintillating thread.

Lol! Thought I would reply even though I don't have an answer so you've at least had one reply! I guess at least if you go to your GP, even if they say to just keep an eye on it, they can always tell you how much (if any) swine flu is going round and what to look out for if it gets any worse.

I love you just for replying.

Only problem with the GP is that appointments are like hens teeth. I know from the NHS whatsit site what to look out for (same as with normal flu, breathing problems, dehydration etc) but would like somebody with a few letters after their name to come on and say it's deeply unfashionable now and everybody's got turtlitis instead.

You'll be pleased to know hoardes of people that I haven't started oinking or coughing up pork scratchings just yet.

Hello...problem with swine flu is that it was one of those hyped up media stories that hit the headlines and now they've got something else to report so you won't hear about it. I'm sure it's past the worst of the 'season' but I'm 24 weeks preg, and I think I'd avoid seeing family/friends if I knew they were ill with bad cold or flu symptoms. I caught MIL's virus early on and whilst I wasn't too worried about swine flu (haven't had jab either) it was hellish as I was feeling rough enough from just being pg in first place. Still if it hasn't come out yet, I reckon you'll be fine ;)

Unfortunately, I didn't know my Dad was ill when we dropped dd off at his house (he was babysitting her while we went to a wedding). He phoned halfway through the reception to say he'd suddenly started to feel very unwell. We went straight back to collect dd but stayed for a while to make sure he was okay (he's diabetic and asthmatic so needs someone there to judge what's happening). As soon as my Mum returned, we left.

The hype largely passed me by tbh, especially if you level the H1N1 strain against ordinary seasonal flu which is not something I especially worry about. But the fact that it seemed to be problematic for pregnant women has stayed with me.

I just wondered if there were any unbiased, non scaremongering sites with actual information of whether it's still circulating.

I feel much better after 12hrs sleep though. It's just possible that taking 4yo dd out on a bike ride yesterday was a bit much. It was rather hot.

So dd and dh have just had chicken pox, my dad currently has some sort of flu. What next I wonder? Is the plague still prevalent?

Why not go and get the jab anyway? Won't hurt. I had an ordinary cold at around 22-23 weeks, and I thought I was going to die... Not only is your immune system weaker, so that all the symptoms come out much much stronger than usual, you also can't take anything! If I felt that bad with a normal cold, I shudder to think what it would be like to get a 'proper' flu, let alone swine flu! Not to mention the effect it can have on your baby.

Talk to your midwife/GP, but in my opinion, the benefits far outweigh the risks with this one!

Also, agree with Rootatoot, try to avoid seeing anyone who's ill or thinks he is at the moment!

I've had sinusitis recently and dear God it was awful.

As I said in my op though, they'd run out of vaccines by December. There are NONE here.

And I do avoid anybody who is ill. I'm quite the antisocial bugger I assure you.

I had the jab in Janurary while 4 months PG and promptly caught Swine Flu anyway. Great stuff. When I twigged I wasn't just suffering side effects from the jab I went to the GP who got me Tamiflu (which is safe apparently) and antibiotics for the chest infection the flu gave me. I was much better within a week

I would definately have the jab, without a doubt. I have caught 2 more regular colds since the flu and each time it's taken me weeks to recover. I'd have sold my soul for some nightnurse/benylin or similar. OP, if you think you have flu call your GP or nhs direct even if it's just for advice.

saffy, there are no jabs here. They've had none since December as they were all bought by the worried well.

I know the advice for swine flu, just wondered if it's still about? I don't want to annoy the GP/NHS direct just for that reason when people wait hours to speak to people. I'm okay. Just idly wondering mainly.

Is there any chance that your GP might get the vaccine in again at one point? Mine had run out when I wanted the jab, but they put me on the high priority list, so I got it immediately when new stocks arrived.

It's a pain having to run after it, though, isn't it?! I still can't understand how they managed to run out in the first place, it's not as if this a new and unknown disease...ah well, better stop, I've done this rant so many times!

Godd luck with getting the jab, hope you succeed!

I was put on the waiting list in January. Still on it apparently. A friend had her booking appointment last week and asked and was told there have been no vaccines here for months but that she shouldn't worry as flu season is largely over.

They ran out here because (and this is only what my midwife said so might not be utterly true) they allowed it to be purchased from pharmacies, they took the lions share of the vaccines and most of the stock got used up by what she called 'the worried well'. My midwife was very lovely and assured me that while she'd seen some pregnant women be really quite under the weather with flu (swine or otherwise) this year, she hadn't seen any complications in any of them.