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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Original poster

Quick poll - Pg ladies, how pg are you and will you be having the swine flu jab?

718 replies

laurawantsababy · 15/10/2009 18:37

I am 25 weeks pg with dc2 and very confused.

After another death but with conflicting advice about the jab chosen for the UK what are we to do??

I would love you here everyones choice and thoughts on it to help me out.

Thanks

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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AngelaCarleen · 15/10/2009 20:06

i'm 22 weeks pregnant, and I don't think I will have the jab.

Ladyandthechocolate* I too work frontline in the NHS, I have had an extra risk assesment regarding swine flu. I'm not allowed to look after any patient suspected to have, or positive for H1N1. There's someone on here who was actually suspended (on full pay)until a safer job could be found for her. The NHS has a duty to protect you and your unborn child. xx

corkysmum · 15/10/2009 20:12

Am 31/40 and will be having the jab. I think that the risks of swine flu, (the way it seems to affect younger people and pregnant women, as opposed to most seasonal flus which affect the elderly in particular) outweigh the risks of the vaccine. As stated by a previous poster, the SW vaccine is made in the same way as seasonal flu vaccines, which have been safely used in pregnancy in this country for years. Also seasonal flu vaccines are different each year as the flu virus itself is different each year, so IMO the SW flu vaccine is just another variant of seasonal flu vaccines. As per the MMR media disaster, we also have to consider the effect of us not having the vaccine on the rest of the ecommunity - if everyone is vaccinated who can be, then the disease cannot spread to those who can't be vaccinated, eg cancer patients. Will be asking for the Celvapan, tho, as this is what has been used without problems in Australia and USA.

Think you have to make your own decisions, don't let the media do that for you - do your research, seek out the facts and weigh up the risks - then if god forbid, anything does go wrong at least you will know you did your very best to protect yourself and your baby.

JuliaGulia · 15/10/2009 20:16

20 weeks with twins but just can't decide.
Seeing my OB tomorrow morning so will ask his/her opinion but I wonder if they are told to promote it?
Does anyone know if we are called up for it or have to request it? It seems easier to avoid the decision if you have to request it.
Husband is very concerned for my own health and thinks I should get the jab but my mum is totally against it. HELP!

whomovedmychocolate · 15/10/2009 20:21

I know a bit about thiomersal - and there is a big myth about it actually staying in your body - it doesn't. It changes to ethyl mercury and is excreted, but the amount in one swine flu vaccine is about the same as the amount you'd get if you ate the EU recommended limits of tuna a week. So that's what, two portions of tuna or swordfish. Are you all boycotting your tuna sangers for the same reason then?

Incidentally, there is a reason one vax is more readily available - it's a multidose and therefore cheaper - you can vax 100 people with some of the bottles, whereas the other has no preservative in. There was a case a few years ago where several children died because they used a vax which had essentially gone off (well technically it was contaminated with bacteria) so each has it's merits.

How do you think your midwives/GPs will react to your refusals (well obviously your GP will react by having £5.75 less in his pocket) but you get my drift - will you be encouraged or shamed into it?

QuietlyTTC · 15/10/2009 20:26

I assume our practice nurse will be doing the jabbing
She has already told me she won't be having it so I doubt she will be putting any pressure on

whomovedmychocolate · 15/10/2009 20:29

Quietly - I think you'll find in the case of pregnant ladies the GPs may be taking over the jabs or at least being on hand in case of reactions. My daughter was invited to be part of the SF trial (we declined) but they were insisting any at risk group was vaxed at hospital or at least with a doc present. (not that there are any side effects obviously )

ThisPhantomPlopsPumpkins · 15/10/2009 20:31

14 weeks, still deciding but I'm swinging towards having it, I think I'll see what's going on (with swine flu) at the time it's offered to me.

alana39 · 15/10/2009 20:33

No but I'm 38 weeks tomorrow so I would hope to have given birth by the time they get round to giving me the jab. Not sure whether we are still higher risk in the post-partum period though?

memorylapse · 15/10/2009 20:37

11 weeks and really not sure..have underlying health probs inc a history of ashtma and have also had pnuemonia..however I want some more information on the jab before I decided

lucky1979 · 15/10/2009 20:39

36 weeks so probably too late, but wouldn't have it anyway.

Pregnant women are more at risk but the risk is still extremely low comparatively speaking. Not worth it.

Neeko · 15/10/2009 20:39

I'm 17 weeks and undecided. I'm a teacher so probably should have it, but I'm also pregnant after a miscarriage and worried about taking anything that might harm this baby. Spoke to my MW and she said when it's available it will be up to the individual with no pressure

EmNotPGYet · 15/10/2009 20:43

I'm still TTC but I think I will have it if/when I get PG. The risks of flu outweigh any vaccine risks, for me.

Stormfly · 15/10/2009 20:59

35 weeks - not sure but not keen. Rather hoping not to be offered it in time. I think it's mostly because I'm so used to the idea of not taking any medication when pregnant. Also because I only have five weeks left and if it consists of two jabs, I'm not sure the immunity would kick in before my due date anyway. Still not clear on which jab we'll be offered or whether pregnant women are usually offered the regular flu jab (keep reading conflicting opinons on this on MN).

crankytwaaaaaahhhhnky · 15/10/2009 21:06

19 weeks.
Noooo! I don't want to be injected with flu!
PCT I work for is trying to make us have them.

MonstrousMerryHenry · 15/10/2009 21:19

Meemars: 'I know that pg women are 'high risk', but pg women are at risk of complication from any flu, yet are not routinely advised to have the seasonal flu vaccine.' Excellent point. I will put this to a health pro next time I see one.

I am 13 weeks and do not plan to take this jab. I haven't read anything in the press about it, it is entirely my own decision - when I was last preg I was told I shouldn't even take a blardy paracetamol for a headache, so a whole vaccine? Are you sure? As for the argument that it's made in a similar way to the ordinary flu vaccine, why does that mean that it's just as safe, then? Can someone explain this? It isn't the ordinary flu vaccine, and the study done on pregnant women was only released a few months ago: here.

I am seeking information from mum friends in France and Germany to see what's being done there - in general I find that the UK tends to be like an overzealous school teacher whose European colleagues take a more relaxed view on life with no ill-effects. I'll let you all know when my friends have reported back.

butterscotch · 15/10/2009 21:23

I usually get offered the seasonal flu jab, though haven't had it yet due to Asthma....

I'm of mixed reviews as I commute into the smoke each day so maybe I'm a bit higher risk its hard to know when i have more info I'll make a decision!

MonstrousMerryHenry · 15/10/2009 21:23

Oh, one of my foreign friends is a woman-centred, very down-to-earth MW...hopefully she'll have something helpful to say.

ReneRusso · 15/10/2009 21:34

16 weeks and definitely not having it. Unfortunately the damage is already done for me, I had swine flu in the 1st trimester so I just hope my baby has not been affected.

ladyandthechocolate · 15/10/2009 21:41

Hi Rene,

Sorry if I have been insensitive..
I'm sure your baby will be fine - the evidence seems to suggest that while some babies are affected, the majority are born completely healthy so cross fingers for you.

trellism · 15/10/2009 21:54

I am having it without a second thought.

I'm also having the seasonal one too on Saturday when I'll be 39 weeks. The swine flu vaccination is just another version of the seasonal one that I have every year because of my asthma.

muddle78 · 15/10/2009 21:55

31 weeks... no way!

MonstrousMerryHenry · 15/10/2009 22:00

What would be useful would be to know what we can do to protect ourselves if we choose not to take the jab.

For example, using antibac hand gel, wearing a mask (!!!) in crowded places, anything else?

This will sound bananas but I heard once that if you feel a cold coming on you should do 5-10 mins CV exercise STRAIGHT AWAY (until your body temp heats up or you start to sweat a bit) as it kick starts an immune response which fights the bugs before they set in. I have tried this (by dancing) and so far, 3 times in a row I've not subsequently developed a cold, and haven't had a cold for months and months. Now this is of course purely anecdotal, and I have no way of knowing whether the bugs would have caused flu or just a cold. But I'll certainly keep dancing!

Any other preventative suggestions?

ReneRusso · 15/10/2009 22:30

ladyandthechocolate, no need to apologise, you were just sharing information.

Rindercella · 15/10/2009 22:33

I am 17 weeks pregnant and will not be having the jab.

I would be very interested to see if there are any stats to show how many pregnant women have contracted swine flu and survived, along with their baby.

MonstrousMerryHenry · 15/10/2009 22:36

By the way, it's just occurred to me that Manuka honey is used effectively to treat MRSA - i.e. a bacterial infection which ABs frequently cannot beat. Manuka honey is apparently anti-viral as well, so it's possible that taking it regularly will help to protect the body against infection if you don't already have SF. Can't say what protection it might give if you're already infected.