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

[laurawantsababy]

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

Hi all

Just read this on the Indy website and thought it might be of interest:

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/one-swine-flu-shot-enough-for-pregn ant-women-two-for-kids-1814367.html

I was only given one dose - of Celvapan - and told I didn't need a second which I guess relates to the info. here.

latest DH advice for GPs

Well I've just booked my jab for Monday afternoon and I feel like a weight has been lifted...what can I worry about now...!!!

I'm finally getting mine on Monday, along with my GP, The one I am getting comes in a vial for 10 doses, so there will be ten of us in a row!
I have severe hyperemisis and if I got flu I would be in a dreadful state, so have no hesitation in getting the jab. Ds is a pre-schooler so will be getting it in the second wave, but till then he could easily bring it home and tbh I don't think I would survive it atm. My gp feels the same.

Blushes, I had probable swine flu in the 1st trimester and was advised not to take relenza. But I think that advice would change for 2nd and 3rd trimester. 1st trimester is so crucial as babys organs are forming.

Eldon - is very interesting briefing. They are obviously responding to some of the cynics both in the media and the medical world itself.

midnightsun - thanks for your posts and links. I got the jab today (Pandemrix). I am very worried about it as I'm still in the first trimester. Fingers crossed everything is alright. I do feel a bit less stressed though now that I have had it, all of the to-ing and fro-ing was really stressing me out!

texasghouldem I don't think you have anything to worry about. Relax, it's done and your body is starting to produce antibodies to protect you and your baby already. Think about the benefits and forget the rest. I hope you can enjoy a worry-free pregnancy.

thanks midnightsun - I hope so too (just have to hide it from both our families until Christmas time now!)

Hope your pregnancy goes well too

I have decided to get the vaccine when it is offered to me. I managed to make this decision today after many sleepless nights and much stress Im just going to get it and do as midnightsun says, focus on the benefits and forget the rest.

I have also decided to keep it quiet..everyone will have an opinion on it and once ive had it i don't want people to start going on about bad things and making me panic! I believe im doing the best thing for my family and that is the main thing isn't it.

Good luck everyone, hope you manage to come to a decision soon. Lumpasmelly i hope you manage to avoid the flu until you can be vaccinated.

Thanks for all the reassuring posts!

EldonAve thanks for the advice to GPs it was useful to have everything so concisely and clearly, with lots more links to further info.

Does anyone know if we will still be offered the vaccine if we have literally just had a baby as it becomes available in our GP's? I am 40 weeks pregnant and going for induction on tues 9th. Still waiting for my Gp's to get any stock in, as I know most GP practices here in the east midlands are in the same boat. Some bits I have read suggest that even if I have just delivered, I am still eligible for the jab late next week, or early week after... my midwife said high risk extended until 6 weeks postpartum??

There is no mention in any of the DoH or RCOG info about vax for postpartum women so I dont think you will be offered it unless you are in one of the other at risk groups

I saw my GP yesterday, there is no sign of any vax supplies and the staff havent been offered vaccination yet

Lucy 101 - am interested in how you got the Celvapan? Are you based in the UK and did you have to request it?

Just interested as I have requested this from my doctors but have had no response (London based).

Hi Josie22

You can see my longer posts lower down on the page which explains why I got Celvapan but in short I am working in Dublin temporarily and was actually planning on coming back to the UK for one day just to get the jab in 2 weeks (but worrying if my GP would have insisted on Pandremix - I had even rung loads of UK private GPS but none of them had any vaccine yet and thought they would only get Pandremix) when I found out by chance on Monday that the Irish were opening special clinics for high risk patients here... and only with Celvapan. So I had it on Tuesday morning - it was great just to have actually made the decision frankly and I feel lucky to have been able to get the vaccine I wanted after all.

On reading more and more about the whole topic, I am now of the mind that Pandremix is probably still going to be less risky than a bad case of the flu... at least for me.

... by the way, still no side effects (feeling pretty good actually) and the baby still kicking away as it was before so think (hope!) that it is fine too.

Can anyone point me in the direction of any info that might have come out regarding pregnant women who have had the jab already (in whatever country)? I suppose it's still too early to see data about women who were vaccinated whilst pregnant and have now had the baby...

Real information of any type seems to be so difficult to get hold of - they have stopped tracking swine flu cases properly so you can't even do a proper "risk analysis" on the likelihood of (a)getting it (b) getting complications and (c) dying!!! Though the estimations of 1 in 3 people getting it don't seem to be coming true as I don't know ANYONE who has had it which would be a bit peculiar if it were so widespread. If we had the facts,then it would be so much easier to make a decision AND if the medical community were in agreement it would also make it easier to make a decision because at the moment it seems that either way we jump there are potentially horrible consequences. So hard!

Hi Ladies. Have had a result with Celvapan. I am London based and after phoningmy local PCT I was put through to the public health authority to explain why I want Celvapan. My details were passed to the local 'flu service'. They have been very helpful and have given me an appointment to get Celvapan next week with a follow up dose in 3 weeks. I don't have an egg allergy. I am asthmatic but I think the only reason i'm getting it is that I asked directly.They said only one other person had contacted them to request it. My GP surgery was not aware of Celvapan being available to anyone but those with egg allergies. I would suggest that anyone who wants Celvapan phone their local PCT to ask for it and ask for the number of the local flu service.

Midnightsun and others who have had it done .
Well the jab should have kicked in properly by now , how u feeling ? xxx

I am still undecided, and have a couple of days until doctor's appointment.

I don't feel I know enough about the risks with either option at all. How the hell do people decide..

I have been agonising over this for the last three weeks. Last week I decided to have it, today I have changed my mind. I am scared about having the vaccine and potential effects on the baby, but parnoid about catching swine flu. My main concern is the adjuvant in the padnremix vaccine. If we had the same vaccine in the UK as in America - with no adjuvant I would not hesitate and have it tomorrow. I spoke to my GP yesterday who stated that I could not have the Celvapan vaccine as this was being reserved for people with a proven egg allergy only, she had spoken to the PCT. I feel like the longer I leave it the worse the decision gets I just need to try and make a decision and stick to it. It is so difficult.

Does anyone know what the uptake rate is for pregnant women at the moment? My consultant told me that the majority of women would have it, but then she also told me it wasn't 100% safe so who knows!!! Also, does anyone know if there is any up to date info on the number of pregnant women being admitted to ICU?.....I'm doing a "wait and see" approach too (i.e. changing my mind daily) but it would be useful to be able to track how the situation is changing. The press seems to have gone very quiet.

westlondongirl - please can I ask how did you find out the number of your local PCT? ~I'm in North Wales (flintshire) so would they still have a PCT or something different?

39 wks and yes have had it

Got contacted this week by my midwife and invited to the jab clinic today (I'm 40+1). After dithering a lot and really wanting cevlapan, I decided in the end to go along with pandemrix. The timing of the invite forced me into a decision.

I asked the GP about cevlapan, and he said that they haven't been sent any yet, and they have precious few pandermix doses compared with their 'at risk' register. I could have waited until celvapan came in (perhaps - but I suspect the 'rules' about who gets that haven't been established yet in my practice since they had to adjust the 'at risk' groups to suit the number of GSK doses they received) but I decided that given my dates I'd rather that my newborn has protection (via BM) than risk catching swine 'flu when feeling run down after giving birth and deprived of sleep, and giving it to a newborn. I was reassured by EldonAve's link earlier. I don't like the idea of the adjuvant nor the thiomersal, but I decided that I liked the idea of risking my & my newborn's wellbeing less. It was all helped by DH coming home from work feeling awful towards the end of the week and me realising that I have no control over what he brings home!

My arm is REALLY sore tonight and starting to feel a little under par, but nor 'fluey yet. I got it in my left arm (R handed) but am now thinking that was silly as I sleep on my left and it's agony to lie on!