Flu & Covid Jabs

[Laurenb03]

I'm 6w 3d's my doctor has offered me the flu and covid jab while getting my midwife referral, should I go for it?
I'm torn as to weather to go for it or not?
What's everyone's opinion x

Please get your covid vaccine. The data speaks for itself.
-Of 241 deaths, 33 caused by COVID-19
-None of these were fully vaccinated (one partially vaccinated) even though 27 of them were eligible (the MBRACE data includes time before vaccines were available)
-No deaths caused by vaccination
-the 1 who died of flu also didn't take the flu vaccine they were eligible for

This is the MBRACE data.

Also please protect yourselves and your baby from covid. Catching it in pregnancy is not good news. Wear a tightly fitting N95 indoors and avoid crowded spaces. Ask people to test to protect you. You and your baby deserve to stay safe.

Further data:

To December 2021, 351 perinatal deaths associated with maternal COVID infection MBRRACE-UKMaternalCompiledReport2023.pdf (ox.ac.uk)
COVID in pregnancy is not trivial.

To October 2021, in consultant-led units: 77 pregnancy losses, 54 stillbirths and 10 neonatal deaths directly attributed to COVID infection Management and implications of severe COVID‐19 in pregnancy in the UK: data from the UK Obstetric Surveillance System national cohort - Vousden - 2022 - Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica - Wiley Online Library

@AlltheFs no need to criticise someone's parenting just because their decision doesn't match up with yours.

You sound like a delight. Glad I don't know you in real life...

I've had both. Having experienced both having flu and covid before that is not an experience I want to have again, particularly whilst pregnant or with a small baby.
One thing I will say though, don't get them both done at the same time like me. I had one in each arm and couldn't find any comfortable position to sleep in for a couple of days, as you're not meant to sleep on your back whilst pregnant, my arms both hurt and baby kept kicking me like mad when I led on my stomach 😂

I had whooping cough vaccine. Refused flu and covid jabs.
(Used to have flu jab each year and got really sick each time so I stopped years ago).
Haven't had any covid jabs and wouldn't in pregnancy.
Not anti vaccination, (baby has had all jabs so far) but really not convinced by the covid jab. Not enough long term data for me personally.

Listen to the doctors and not randoms on here.

My thoughts exactly.

I had both, on the same day, and other than mild aches in both arms had no side effects.

does anyone know why Covid boosters are being offered this winter - not just to pregnant people but others deemed vulnerable? My husband always gets offered flu and was also offered Covid this year. Last winter he was only offered flu - neither of us had had a Covid booster since late 2021 when everyone was offered one.

I've had both, flu at 12 weeks, COVID at 13 weeks s. Sore arm after both for a day or two but otherwise fine. My husband came down with covid-like symptoms (although tested negative) 5 days after my vaccine and I didn't get anything. I've had a rough enough pregnancy so far anyway, I do NOT fancy getting flu or COVID on top of everything else so I'm very grateful for the vaccines.

There is absolutely no danger of us meeting in real life, I think we move in very different circles fortunately.

Yep very fortunately. Not getting a vaccine doesn't make be a bad parent.

Thank you! X

I think you should ignore what your doctor tells you, and ask the experts like Right Said Fred and Joe Rogan what they reckon.

I'd take both. Flu and Covid during pregnancy can cause serious complications. I had flu while pregnant and ended up in hospital.

Yes to both. Flu and COVID are both much more likely to cause serious illness in pregnant women, which may lead to premature birth. COVID is also linked to second trimester loss of pregnancy and stillbirth. Furthermore, receiving these immunisations in pregnancy has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of hospital admission for flu or COVID in infants aged under 6 months.

On the flip side, there are no significant risks associated with having these immunisations in pregnancy.

To me it was a no brainer. I have had both immunisations in my pregnancies with no issues. In fact I was very eager to get the immunisations as soon as I could.

Anecdotally, in the line of my work I have never encountered a case of an adverse pregnancy outcome related to COVID immunisation. However, I have been aware of stillbirths which have occurred with no other reason attributable than maternal COVID infection in pregnancy. And I have seen infants delivered prematurely because of maternal ITU admission for COVID. These mothers have missed the birth of their child, the first days with their child, the opportunity to breastfeed (because they were unconscious on ITU during essential first days), a normal postnatal period (instead weeks/ months of their baby in hospital) and their children are facing long term health problems associated with prematurity. Fortunately have not seen any very serious outcomes in babies with COVID, however needing admission and antibiotics etc for fever /other symptoms is pretty stressful for parents.

I'd like to point out my midwife never pushed for me to get it. Just whooping cough and flu. Well didn't really push but asked if I'd have it. It's not that I'm concerned about the vaccine itself. Just a big no from me.

Time elapsed increases need to boost?
Resurgence of cases?
Availability of doses?
Learning from outcomes of winter 2022 policy?

I'm not sure what the reason is! Had mine this week, sore arm later that day. Booked in for flu.

I had both jabs, and baby is great.
but I'd get them separately, as getting them at the same Time made me feel rough for 3 or 4 days. I've since had them separately and felt fine.

I got my flu jab. I'm waiting to be offered the covid vaccine, and I will take that too.

Baffling as to why anyone wouldn't have them. Babies with the flu are a really distressing sight, and they really suffer and never fully recover.

The government updated their guidance. All pregnant women can get a few booster and it’s highly recommended, you can book an appointment on the NHS website, generally somewhere local and next day.

The vulnerable were given covid boosters last year. Your dh must have been accidentally missed off the list.

Please make sure you get the XBB booster (the newest one) to have the best protection against current variants. The government is still offloading last year's booster on people which is not up to date. Ask which version you are being given and push for the latest version!

I’m 35 weeks and planned to have the flu jab but then had a non covid lurgy and was very snotty for a few weeks. Still to do.

When I normally have the covid jab my heart rate increases from 50 to 70 (apple watch). In pregnancy it’s obviously higher, 77, so made the decision not to have it while pregnant as heart rate of 90 constantly for 2 weeks is too much!

I get the flu and Covid jabs in my own right (immunosuppressant medication and I have difficult to control asthma). I had them both together when I was 4 weeks. As soon as I said i was pregnant the pharmacist offered me the flu jab as well as the Covid jab I'd booked in for.

I had Covid in my last pregnancy and miscarried about a week later. Obviously I don't know if Covid was a contributing factor to the miscarriage or not but I need the jab for my own health and hopefully it will help protect baby too.

• Date
• 12 October 2023
• Name of vaccine
• Pfizer Ltd
• Batch number
• HG2272

Does this mean I had last year's??