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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Is anyone NOT having the flu jab this winter???

84 replies

MrsHuxtable · 06/10/2011 10:43

Just wondering. I had actually decided not to have the jab. I've never had it before. I know my immune system is supposed to be weakened by pregnancy but I never get more than a little cold each winter, if at all.

I also don't see myself really being at risk of catching it as I will be signed off sick for the remainder of my pregnancy and am not really in contact with any people apart from DH, who is also working from home 90% of the time. I don't use public transport and am not mixing with any crowds.

I don't know. I just feel funny about getting a jab while pregnant...

OP posts:

Pollykitten · 07/10/2011 21:38

I think the evidence says that the flu jab is 100% safe, so there's no particular health benefit by avoiding it, having said that if you feel you are strong and healthy generally, in terms of weighing up risks, it's your call and you'd be very unlucky to to have complications as a result of flu jab. Plus, it does not give 100% protection either.

LaWeasel · 07/10/2011 22:26

kimmie It might not be sorted in your area yet when I mentioned it to my MW after seeing this thread she said our area seems to be a bit behind, but I didn't have any problem when I rang my GP and asked about it - appointment's on monday.

pregnantmimi · 07/10/2011 22:48

Im seeing midwife next week I think I will have it now I didnt know it could harm the baby having flu while pregnant this is whats made me want to have it done.

cakeymakey · 08/10/2011 09:06

Had mine this morning at my local surgery. Everything in life has a some degree of risk attached to it, for me having the jab (18 weeks pg asthmatic with 2 kids at school/preschool) is much less risk than not having it.

Original poster

MrsHuxtable · 08/10/2011 09:29

I have decided to have the jab. I'm still not comfortable with it but I guess I would never forgive myself if I did catch the flu and killed my baby.

Polly The jab is not proven to be 100% safe for pregnant women. All they say is that they assume it's safe but have no proof.

OP posts:

Flisspaps · 08/10/2011 09:46

I won't be having it. I didn't have the swine flu vaccination when pregnant with DD, got swine flu and it was treated with Relenza. Both of us were fine.

BartletForAmerica · 08/10/2011 10:38

I am delighted to hear a happy story, Fliss, and am glad you were both fine. Unfortunately some other mothers and babies didn't do so well.

stripeybump · 08/10/2011 10:52

Based on Tangle's story I am going to call the surgery on Monday morning and get myself booked in for a jab.

I had swine flu in 2009 and was so ill - days thrashing around in bed with the sweats and fever-induced delirium. If I got something similar now at 30wks, I would never forgive myself if something happened to the baby. Also for myself - I got pneumonia after swine flu and it took months to fully recover - I never want to be that ill again.

Iirc the midwife did mention it at my booking appt but I haven't been offered since and I just forgot. I'm a teacher too so tend to pick up whatever is going round, even without the lowered immunity of pregnancy.

I don't wish to be judgemental - no fuck it I do - anyone not having it is misguided and daft. Listen to the doctors on this thread and people who have lost or almost lost babies due to contracting flu.

stripeybump · 08/10/2011 10:53

Fliss - I hope no-one reading this thread decides not to have the jab based on your story and then isn't as lucky.

mosschops30 · 08/10/2011 10:57

For all those pg ladies who dont think its necessary, please please re consider having the vaccine.
Although not well publicised SF was worse for us in ITU last year, we are execting this year to be just as bad.
We had several pg women admitted with SF and not all outcomes were good
i had it when pg, and am having the dcs privatly vaccinated this year.

Pastabee · 08/10/2011 11:53

I had mine this morning. My reasons are two fold. I trust the data that says flu is potentially fatal to pregnant women and their babies. I, like others, am extremely sorry to read about tangle's experience.

My other reason is that having been hospitalised with flu as a teenager I know how horrible it is. That was many, many years ago but I'll never forget how sick I felt or how quickly it took hold. I'm 35 weeks now. I don't want to risk having to care for a newborn whilst being that unwell again.

DH is also having it - his work are vaccinating all their staff.

banana87 · 08/10/2011 12:59

The worry is that not all women are being told. I text my SIL yesterday (31 weeks) and advised her to call her surgery. They had her in 5 minutes later, thank god.

I really do hope those of you choosing to not have it do consider the stories such as Tangle's. Unfortunately there are many stories just like hers :(

KellyKettle · 08/10/2011 13:41

mosschops can I ask how you found a private clinic? I'd like DD and DH to be vaccinated too.

Mum2be79 · 08/10/2011 13:54

I had my flu jab a week ago. Me and baby are fine. No problems experienced.

Get it every year being asthmatic.

I'm not a person to judge and each to their own, but for me, it was hearing the stories about the pregnant mums who ended up on death's door after contracting flu and then spending weeks of rehabilitation whilst their babies fought for their lives in ICU. I didn't want that. Never heard of a pregnant mum having a bad reaction to the jab and getting sick or losing her baby as a result of it. I did watch a TV programme in the spring about mums having pre-term babies and one was a pregnant mum. She survived 9spent weeks in hospital) but sadly her baby didn't. :(

Our immune system is lowered during pregnancy hence the reason why flu can affect pregnant mums so severely.

mosschops30 · 08/10/2011 13:56

I just googled it and a private clinic near me came up. I checked what they were using and am happy for the dcs to be vaccinated there

Tangle · 08/10/2011 14:15

Please can I ask that others do not use my experience to bully, harass or frighten women into having a vaccine they do not want?

2 years ago we did as much research as we could and made what we felt was the best decision for our family at that time - and in part that decision was shaped by our personal history and ethos. Even though things went so badly wrong, I still feel we made the right decision for us at the time and - very importantly for me - it was OUR decision.

I brought up my story mainly in response to justhayley's implication that you had nothing to fear from flu if you were healthy, and partly because it's an outcome that we weren't aware was possible. I fully recognise that I was very unlucky to be as I'll as I was, and even more unlucky to have my baby die - i wanted to make other women aware that this is a possible outcome, I did not want to frighten them into having a jab they are uncomfortable with on the back of an outcome that is very unlikely. I'd ask others to respect that.

There is not and never will be proof that a vaccine that needs creating annually is safe, in it's current form, for pregnant women - the time scales make it impractical to test, and it would be unethical to test the vaccine on that specific population. I, personally, feel a lot more comfortable with the annual flu jab (which has been given to a large number of pregnant women over the years with no well published problems identified) than I did with the SF specific vaccines, which were created in much more of a hurry.

Most of all, thank you for your kind thoughts and I hope you all have healthy and happy pregnancies :)

NoobyNoob · 08/10/2011 14:55

I had mine done this morning, hurt a little and felt lightheaded for 10 minutes or so, but that was it. I've never questioned not to have anything like this and never will. You're at risk for a reason, and that reason is your health and that of your baby.

Also, agree with stripeybumps last para.

Flisspaps · 08/10/2011 14:57

I just wanted to add mine for some balance, that's all. I think that all pregnant women are capable of making the decision for themselves, and I can't imagine that anyone would base such an important decision on my single comment.

However not everyone who chooses to not have the flu/swine flu vaccine and then goes on to contract flu/swine flu suffers a tragic loss, and I think it is important to acknowledge that. It is a risk which each pregnant woman has to assess for herself.

If I can't take so much as an ibuprofen or buy general OTC medicines from a pharmacy because of the tiny but unknown risk to my baby then I am not happy to be vaccinated whilst I am pregnant. It was a case of I'd rather not be vaccinated and perhaps expose myself and the baby to a virus than to be vaccinated and definitely expose myself and the baby to a vaccine.

Wormshuffler · 08/10/2011 15:16

I am booking one next week. There was an article in our local paper this weekend panning pg ladies for not having it, even though I have never been told its recommended!
I have been re-assured by the ladies who have said in this thread that they had it and didn't get an adverse reaction. Thanks ladies.

stripeybump · 08/10/2011 15:21

Thing is... the whole thing about 'it's your decision at the end of the day' seems a bit unscientific.

If it can cause such heartbreaking consequences, why would you not have the jab? Serious question. I mean, seatbelts cause the occasional injury but everyone still wears them.

Is there any evidence whatsoever that people base their decision not to have vaccinations on?

Or is it just fear of the jab itself? I mean, if empirical evidence doesn't show any negative consequences for mother or baby in having it, why on earth would you make an 'informed decision' to not have it?

Original poster

MrsHuxtable · 08/10/2011 16:52

Stripey like tangle said, there isn't any evidence that the jab is unsafe for pregnant women but there isn't any evidence either that they are safe as the jab changes every year therefore there's no time to actually gather the evidence. Also I think, the women who are worried, like me, don't expect there to be any immediate negative effects 9 it's not a live vaccine so you wouldn't get the flu from it) but are rather afraid of what kind of long-term effects there might be. A lot of new mediaction in the past was supposed to be safe for pregnant women and it later turned out that they were actually damaging the babies.

OP posts:

Original poster

MrsHuxtable · 08/10/2011 16:54

I don't think anyone on here is afraid of the actual jab, the needle. I think we all know that there are worse things coming during childbirth .

OP posts:

Flisspaps · 08/10/2011 18:42

I don't particularly like needles, no, but then having had a synto drip, epidural 3a tear requiring stitching and a manual placenta removal with a spinal anaesthetic, to be honest, the thought of having another needle hadn't crossed my mind.

MrsHuxtable has put it very eloquently.

stripeybump Judge me all you like. I respect your decision to have the jab, I do not ask you to like or agree with my choice :) It is the decision that I have reached and does not affect anyone other than me and my unborn child.

Blueberties · 08/10/2011 18:48

I'm not pregnant so I'm sorry for intruding, but if I were pregnant and I were getting the jab I would check that it's one of the brands without mercury in it. I think two brands do have mercury. Sorry not to have more info. But if you phone your surgery they should be able to tell you which one it is and then you can find the ingredients online.

stripeybump · 08/10/2011 20:38

Sorry, lazy writing, I didn't mean fear of the needle so much as a generalised and irrational fear of all vaccinations.

I guess I can understand that some people might not like the idea of a new and therefore not very tested vaccine, but I do trust that it's a tiny risk and one worth taking given the alternative.

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