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1st Trimester
Flu Shot While Pregnant?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Flu Shot While Pregnant?
Absolutely do not get it.
1) If "effective" it only equals 1/2 day of work not missed.
2) It is a Category C medication, that means it is NOT tested as safe for pregnant women.
3) Until about 20 years ago pregnancy was a contraindication for ALL vaccines.
4) There were too many unexplained miscarriages last year after women got the H1N1 vaccine.
The flu shot is one of the biggest mistakes in modern medicine (I put it right up there with statin drugs).
Do your research.
You're pregnant. It's up to you to protect your baby and your health.
Eat real food, laughing a lot, and getting plenty of sunlight (or vitamin D3 now that we're into Fall) will be VERY protective.
Both of the adults I live with have had bronchitis and cold that last week and I'm right as rain.
~ Rachel
Hi there,
I know there is a lot of hype about the swine flu still...and how pregnant women should get the shot. The thing is, if you are healthy and do get the flu, your body can and will fight it. And if you are taking good vitamins (not synthetic ones - I take Prenatal Forte) and a good antioxidant (like Jus) and getting enough rest, plus vitamin D, you are a lot less likely to get sick. Please don't take people's word for it...even doctors! Please do your own research on the effects of the shot...especially the swine flu shot. Here are some links to some articles by a doctor that has done a lot of research on it and found some pretty negative things. I find it very interesting that other countries (not the third world ones either) have either banned this entirely or won't give it to pregnant women. You have to ask WHY? And WHAT am I not being told? I personally will NOT get the shot. I am not going to willingly introduce that stuff to my baby, not to mention the other things in the shot that can have bad results.
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/09/prominent-physician-advises-against-flu-shots.aspx
https://swineflu.mercola.com/
Blessings! And I pray you find peace in your decision, and if you do decide to get the shot, that you and your precious baby have NO adverse effects!
I always get sick from it as well, and this statement is false, because technically the flu shot *IS* the flu, just a lower grade of the virus, so of course you can get sick from it.
I'm actually with you on being nervous about getting it. I have MS, and have had 4 miscarriages in the past year. I don't react very well to ANY vaccine, and really don't want to risk adverse side effects from the flu shot while pregnant. My doctor is like most, but respects my decision to not get it at this time.
Like you said, many people are very passionate about it one way or the other, so it really depends on your own judgment. Go with your gut, and what your doctor counsels. Best of luck!
Such a scary topic.....I would recommend Thermerisol free. I just got my flu shot and was not aware that they offered a Thermerisol free option and I am furious that no one told me. It might be harder to find, I've heard maybe Walgreens. There is no proof that the shot is dangerous, in fact quite the opposite but who knows for sure. Below is a link to the CDC on Flu shots, you will find the mercury content in each brand. Hope this helps.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaxsupply.htm
It's a personal choice. I was against it as well because I've never had the flu, but I went ahead and did it because I don't want to get sick. In the beginning of my first trimester I just had a cold/allergies and it was extremely amplified. I was sick for weeks. Missed the summer holidays and couldn't spend time with my family who flew in to see me. I'd rather not chance getting that sick again, since med options during pregnancy are drastically reduced.
I didn't feel great after wards, mostly pain in my arm, but I've been fine now and had it at least a month before.
Whatever you decide is okay. This is just one of the first major decisions regarding you and your new baby's life. Even the minor things seem major now, don't they.
First of all, the flu shot does not contain a live virus and so it is impossible for you to get the flu from it. It may make you feel "off" as another poster stated but you can't get the flu from it. Is it possible that you are allergic to egg white or another substance that is in the vaccine? You may want to ask your doctor about this as I believe you could use the nasal spray instead.
I will be getting the flu shot tomorrow actually, at my OB appointment. It is highly recommended for all pregnant women. Getting the flu can be very dangerous when you are pregnant. While it wont protect you from every strain of the flu it can help. I have a weak immune system anyway and always get sick so I'm not taking any chances.
I'm also really glad it has H1N1 in there this year. I actually had H1N1 last year and it was the most miserable time of my life, I just remember laying on the couch crying literally thinking I was going to die because I was in so much pain. I can't imagine going through that pregnant.
Obviously it's ultimately up to you whether you get it or not but I urge you to have a talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of both getting and not getting it.
I am completely against getting the flu vaccinations especially H1N1 because there has not been enough research done to support its efficacy and safety nor are the vaccinations ever tested on pregnant women as it is considered "unethical" so pregnant women whom are getting the flu shot....you are the guinea pigs. Here is an article you can read written by a Doctor I would trust my life with, she is the reason I became healthy and why I am pregnant right now.
Copy and paste this link and then in the search bar type in "flu vaccine" and read the first article that appears, you may choose to read the others as well.
https://www.wellnessforum.com/NewsStand/
Here is a piece from the article
"According to the FDA, swine flu vaccines were tested for only three weeks on a few hundred children and adults. There were no tests on pregnant women because doing so would have been unethical, but pregnant women are one of the groups targeted to be vaccinated early. There also were no tests on people receiving both vaccines, which is the way most people will be vaccinated this year."
"In spite of the history of harm from flu vaccines, the risks of infection from live vaccine; the health risks from adjuvants that are likely to be added; and the lack of testing for safety, particularly since people are being advised to get two flu vaccines this year; the drug companies are not liable for harm to Americans resulting from flu vaccines. The reason is that in 2005, Congress passed the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, which eliminated liability for drugs produced in response to public emergencies declared by the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Homeland Security. This provides additional incentives to inflate the size of the affected population. Sales increase and liability decreases if there is an epidemic leading to a public health emergency declaration."
If I were to get sick this year, I would turn to homepathic remedies and inoculations.
I faced the same issue, I've decided not to get the flu shot b/c I'm not comfortable with it. I've never had a flu shot before, and I'm not about to start just b/c I'm pregnant. Check with your doctor if you can take a bit more vitamin c to help with the immune system. Advice I got from my friend who is a nurse and has had 2 kids, don't do anything you're not 100% sure of.
Don't let people pressure you into doing something you're not 100% sure about. This is your body and your baby's. Do what you think is right.
I am 22 weeks and got the flu shot at my dr.'s office at 18 weeks. I was really nervous too, but my dr looked at me and said it is highly reccommended. I had never gotten it before and didn't know how it would effect my body. But other than a sore arm, where they stuck the needle, I was fine. The only thing I would reccommend (not that I'm a dr or anything) is getting the shot at your dr.'s office just to be sure it is the right form of the shot.
I had never had a flu shot before, but last week I was at the doctor & she asked if I wanted a flu shot... She said it is actually good for pregnant women to get one, because of the compromised immune system. Plus, if your in the 3rd trimester, you will have a little one in just a short time that could easily get very sick if you got the flu. So she gave it to me right then, it was a sort of a spur of the moment thing.
But when I got home DH was upset that I would get a flu shot while pregnant.
It seems like, just with the flu shot in general, people are either all for or very against.
I haven't gotten sick from it (yet anyways) and the baby seems fine, but now I sort of wish I would have had time to research it a little before getting it.
I got the flu shot this past Tuesday after my first DR.S appointment. I would have forgot to ask if she didn't tell me about it. The Dr. was 9 months pregnant and she said it was safe and that she just got one also. I know I'm only 8 weeks and 4 days but i'm not worried what so ever. If they didn't think it was safe , they would not have administered it.
Hello,
My husband and I always get our flu shots every year. We recently miscarried our 1st baby and are currently expecting our 2nd baby. Due to our experience I was planning not getting the flue shot but I also suffer from Asthma and sever allergies so my O.B., allergist and primary doctor recommend I get the flu shot for pregnant woman along with the whooping cough shot. I was instructed to wait until my 2nd trimester just to make sure everything is ok due to my 1st pregnancy. This has been a difficult journey but all the doctors say my health and that of my baby is most important. My husband and I have decided to get the flu shot and whopping chough shot in my 2nd trimester. Good luck and wishes to all of us.
I was at my dr yesterday getting an u/s to see the heartbeat and the dr, nurses and even u/s tech told me how highly they recommend getting the flu shot. The two-four day side effects you may have from the shot is nothing compared to what you would go through if you actually got the flu while pregnant. SHe told me the risk for developing pnuemonia would be much higher and since I have had pnuemonia before and no what it does to your body, it didn't take long to decide to get the shot! The OB nurse gave it to me right then. But as others have said, it needs to be a decision you are comfortable with!
So far- only side effect I have from the shot is that the spot where it was injected was very very sore for about 5 hours!
I strongly suggest getting a flu shot. This year it is both the H1N1 and the influenza shot in one. I'm a nurse in a pediatric ICU and last year we had many children and young adult females on ECMO which is the most advanced form of life support all because of H1N1. Out of the young women 2 of them had just given birth. All but 1 survived the horrible illness after months of being hospitalized. I am 15 weeks pregnant and had the flu shot at 10 weeks. It doesn't matter when in your pregnancy you get it. Your baby can also receive the benefits of the vaccine after birth. In my opinion, it is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your baby.
I'd be very careful and weigh your options. I'm 12 weeks along and got my flu shot last wednesday after my doc convinced me I should do it for the safety of my baby. Having never gotten a flu shot before, I didn't think much of it. Boy was I wrong.
Two hours after receiving the shot, I got violently ill (think projectile vomit, nonstop for what felt like an hour), so shaky I couldn't walk and ran a fever up past 102. I kept crying that this wasn't ok...that something was wrong. When hubby called the doc, they said to sit in a cold shower, take tylenol and pump fluids.
My fever finally came down 40 hours later...but now I'm so nervous that I did damage to my little one. Fevers are suuuuper dangerous and are linked to high rates of miscarriage. I'm still just a mess thinking I made a huge mistake allowing the doc to talk me into the shot.
I'm no doctor or even an expert on this (since it's our first pregnancy), but if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't.
angb77...I completely agree with you. I have decided not to get the flu shot. I have never gotten one before and don't want to start now - I just don't know how I will react and don't want to take that risk.
Now, I share this knowing a vet is not the same as a doctor but it does make you wonder...My father in law is vet and told my husband that he does not give any vaccines to pregnant animals. That's enough to make me wonder!
There is so much incorrect info in this thread.
I'm sorry, but I'm going to trust the medical professionals, the Mayo Clinic, the Center for Disease Control etc. more than anyone on a message board. To say that there is no evidence to back up the idea that the flu shot does not cause the flu is not only ignorant, it is dangerous. Pregnant woman are particularly vulnerable to the flu. If you are not comfortable getting the shot for whatever reason, so be it, but please, do not insinuate that others who have also done their research are making things up. That is irresponsible and insulting. So. -
https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flu-shots/ID00017/NSECTIONGROUP=2 -
A flu shot contains an inactivated vaccine made of killed virus. The injection is usually given in the arm. Because the viruses in the vaccine are killed (inactivated), the shot won't cause you to get the flu, but it will enable your body to develop the antibodies necessary to ward off influenza viruses.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm -
The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are:
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/top-10-questions-flu -
The flu shot does not contain live viruses, so it cannot "give" you the flu. However, the vaccine can trigger an immune response from your body, so you may have a few mild symptoms, like achy muscles or a low fever.
I wish some of the shit spewed here was true. Especially the part about vaccines just giving doctors kickbacks and being ways to make money. Dh has hundreds of thousands of dollars in student debt from med school. I wish he got kickbacks so we could pay the damn loan off.
Baby #1 due June 5th, 2014