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

MrsMH, I wish I had read that last night. Have got a bloody cold & could really do without it. Could've done my exercise for the year last night and staved it off!

Time for bed

Oh, do have it anyway, Rinder - I always take a spoonful 3 times a day to fight tonsillitis after it's kicked in. Combined with good rest, it works a treat.

Make sure you get high potency stuff, i.e. 10+ UMF. Hope you get well soon!

Oh - I see, you mean CV exercise, not manuka! Still, try the manuka - should help! I was being overcautious when I said it's only preventative for SF - I'm not a doctor and all that.

6 weeks pregnant ( i think) and im really undecided.im not keen on having it, i looked into the ingredients when deciding if my children would have it and im thinking if i wont let them have it then im not having it either.

i had flu when i was pregnant with ds1 and i was fine so i think i will risk it and keep my fluids etc up and hope that if i do get it i get it mild.

if it had been around for years then i maybe would have considered it but im not happy with the little if not no testing on pregnant women and no real idea of long term effects of the vaccine

Yes, it's the lack of research into long-term effects I'm concerned about too, mumand. I've read this evening that the main concern for foetuses of women with the flu is dehydration, so your point about keeping your fluids up is significant.

I'm not pg, but have just had all three of my dc vaccinated in the trial, dd2 and ds with one vaccine, and dd1 with the other. I spent a lot of brain time worrying about swine flu in summer, and decided after much agonising that I couldn't cope with the same again. All three so far have had the same response to the vaccines (although if I was going to allow myself to worry about it, I would be more concerned about long term rather than short term!) their normal body temps are 35.5 ish, and all their temps went up to 37 ish on day 3, then dropped down on day 5. No other noticable side effects. We're going back in a week for the second injections. I can't tell you what a relief it has been actually having done it, rather than worrying about whether or not to do it.

BTW point about the mercury the anti-D injection given to all Rh- women in pregnancy contains mercury so that can't be that dangerous.

I am 13 weeks and I think I'll take my chances, as swine flu seems to be quite mild.

Can somebody tell me what the concern with the vac is? I haven't been following this really as I should have.

All I understand is that it is the same as any other flu shot. It's not like they use different solvents (I think), and the virus is not alive... But there must be somehting going on, or people wouldn't be so upset over it.

My doctor makes it mandatory, but I might deliver before he has some. Don't know what happens afterwards and how baby is to get immunity. DH works at university where they already have cases, so not amused by whole situation.

MMH - you should join the flu survey - apparently travelling on public transport is showing to have no influence at all on your likelihood for developing swine or other flu.

Comma2 - no medical treatment is mandatory unless he has a court order, you have every right to refuse. Baby would apparently get immunity for the first six months from you having immunity - well that's the idea anyway - which is the period during which the baby would most likely die or be disabled by contracting flu.

Statistically of course, you'd have to be very unlucky to meet someone with real swine flu (as opposed to a cold) during the 40 weeks you are pregnant. It's not that easily contractable and some people have immunity anyway. And even if you did your chances of actually having a serious reaction to it are still low, even if pregnant. Of course that might change as the virus changes, but there is just as much chance that it'll change to be more deadly to other sectors of society (I reckon the elderly will start dying next myself because of the way it affects lung capacity) rather than pregnant women. Which is not great for them obviously but might reassure you.

I'm 9 weeks, and I think I already had swine flu a few months ago, as my husband had it, however my symptoms were extremely mild and lasted less than 24 hours. So not sure it would be worth it

28 weeks and won't be having it despite having 2 colleagues with it at min, one has been hospitalized too. I'm off work with a chest infection and on antibiotics but will be back on Monday.

I'm 24 weeks and I am not having it!

10 weeks and I won't be having the jab. A family member is a doctor and normally very pro-vaccination but was saying that they wouldn't have the jab because it hasn't been tested enough. That's good enough for me but obviously not something that really contributes to a debate.

With regards to the swine flu jab that has been rushed through for pregnant women, don't think i'll be having that one as it contains adjuvant which is also used in chemo ! Which didn't think preg women could have. I have done my research on this adjuvant this morning and it says it has adverse effects when used in vaccines can make immune system over act. It is a cheap ingredient which is why this batch has been made so quickly. Nice to see the government and health department being so caring and considerate towards preg women !!! NOT.

I am 15 wks with dc2 and think I will wait for the Celvapan jab.

x

Thanks everyone, very interesting.

So, if we turn down our first invite for the vaccine and decide after a month or so of it being used that it is safe can we have it then?

MinkyBorage - Thats interesting about your dc being trialled. Can I ask why they are having a 2nd jab? Is that for the trial or will everyone have 2 jabs?

I'm 21 weeks and not going to have it as I had full blown swine flu at approx 8 weeks.

Although it wasn't very nice - I had a really bad chesty cough - I was prescribed relenza and after a few days in bed I felt weak but fine.

I don't feel satisfied that the vaccine has been sufficiently tested to enable me to be confident about saying yes, and part of me wonders how much the vaccination program is being used as a justification for the panicking that went on during the summer that resulted in millions of tax payers cash being spent on silly adverts and call centres manned by muppets

14 weeks and won't be having it.

I reacted very badly to the seasonal flu jab.

i'm 19 weeks and undecided. I'm pretty pro-vax and I work in a variety of school and university settings, so I normally catch everything going. DH works as a GP in the army. He wasn't keen on the vax when we last talked (he's in Afganistan) but I am erring towards having it and having my 13 month old DD get it. The number of cases in the Uni has already begun to climb since everyone came back from summer holidays, and both I and DD are immunosuppressed anyhow. My mum thinks that she currently has SF (she's some hours away) and I just know that looking after myself, DD, house, job etc. on my own without DH would be impossible. I have no friends or relatives who would be able to help. So ... erm ... worried and I'm waiting to see how the medical community reacts (privately not in public!) to make my choice.

I'm 9 weeks and also really not sure as obviously those of us at the start of a pregnancy have the whole autumn-winter months ahead of us with nasty bugs out there! It has been on my mind as I am an NHS worker in the community with young children, so will be offered the vaccine through work plans also and so an 'at risk' group there too. I have been searching for further studies, and why other countries like Australia, have delayed the introduction of the vaccine as it is felt there hasn't been enough testing. Routine vaccination against the flu has been in place for pregnant women for some time in the US, and there is research outlining the potential harm to an unborn baby if a mother contracts the flu during pregnancy - mainly neural development for emotional/social parts of the brain....SO...a bit arrgghhh! and not sure what to do either at this stage. Will post anything interesting that I find.

I am 18 weeks and haven't decided. There was a news article yesterday on Sky News about the World Health Organisation saying that mums to be should only have a certain type of it but that the NHS is more likely to be using the one that isn't recommended for pregnant women. But then a couple of hours later its main headline is about a 17 year old pregnant woman who has died from swine flu and that is why it is important that all pregnant women are vaccinated as soon as possible. So it really is a tough decision and having suffered 3 miscarriages before this pregnancy I am leaning towards not having it and hoping I don't get swine flu AAARRGGGHHH!! I agree with Rindercella about what she said about the stats of pregnant women who have had swine flu and are fine I think the british media doesn't help in these situations because they always report on the worst case scenario and it scares some people

It's a nightmare. Apologies for posting this already in another swine flu thread, but I am really confused. I am nearly 14 weeks, a type 1 diabetic and asthmatic. I work in a school and have had flu twice in the past 5 years so am definitely vulnerable. Went for the seasonal flu jab a week ago and was asked to sign a consent form which stated : NB This vaccine is contra-indicated in pregnancy. Asked the nurse about this and she couldn't really give me an answer so I chose not to have it. However, The Royal College of Gynacologists and Obstetricians website recommends pregnant women with any underlying health problems can be vaccinated at any stage in pregnancy. Confused.

I'm 10 weeks and haven't decided either. It's a nightmare. I probably won't.

I'm more or less sure I won't be having it. No matter how safe they say it is I am still concerned, as it is a new jab...I am relatively healthy, and 7 months pregnant(due 01 Jan) and feel if I... 1) ensure my immunity remains high- healthy eating and vitamins, 2) take hygienic precautions- washing of hands, and 3) avoid high risks areas- the tube, I should be OK.
Saying that, everyone should weigh up what's right for them, and if you feel you are more at risk or have underlying conditions that will make you more vulnerable, then go for the jab.

I am undecided. I am 31 plus weeks. I know of a lovely lady who caught flu at the end of her pregnancy and the flu crossed the placenta and she had a still birth. I don't know if having the jab is more dangerous than not. I need more information. But ia m concerned that a 17 year old and a 21 year old have both died in the last week from swine flu in pregnancy.

The point about seasonal flu vaccines not being offered to pg woman is because of the likelihood of catching it - in a pandemic there is a larger rate of illness, so you are more likely to catch it, and as it is a new virus, are very unlikely to have any immunity.

I'm about 11 weeks, and prob will have it.

My first baby was stillborn due to a virus (Parvovirus-slapped cheek) so I am aware of the potentially disatoruous affects of viruses. In our sanitised world where we (understandably) expect pregnancy and childbirth to produce healthy children it is a shock (and one that is treated with disbelief and denial) that viruses really do fatal damage.

That said, I am too nervous to accept this jab. I don't know what to do. I am eight weeks pregnant.

I wish that they would offer the jab to the husbands, families and friends of pregnant women instead. I know this is not possible.