CDC announcement about flu vaccine

ngolimento · December 2014

Just a good heads up for us March mommas. This year's flu virus mutated so that vaccines aren't fully effective. Be extra cautious about hand sanitizing/washing.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/cold-flu/cdc-warning-flu-viruses-mutate-evade-current-vaccine-n261226

ngolimento · December 2014

katydid2014 said:
Oooooof course this happens the first time I'm pregnant and the first time I ever got the shot. Awesome sauce. Thanks for posting!

Lol right? The good news is that the vaccine is still partially effective, and should prevent you from getting the more serious form of it.

janda426 · December 2014

I think if I read correctly it's still at least halfway effective. Aka 50% better odds than NOT getting vaccinated. But yeah I'll be a hermit the rest of the pregnancy anyway so hopefully I can avoid it

Unknown · December 2014

This content has been removed.

colleen4019 · December 2014

Same here- first pregnancy, first flu shit (today). I'm insisting that my DH & my parents get it too this year and strongly suggesting that any other family members who want to be around the new baby in flu season get vaccinated as well. I know this is overkill- but seriously, babies die from the flu. This isn't something to mess around with.

PuppyLove84 · December 2014

TikTak said:

Woo hoo! A whole new batch of people (in general, not saying from this group) who will spend the rest of their lives saying "well, uh, this one time I got the flu shot and then I GOT THE FLU!!!" and using it as an excuse never to get the flu shot again!

I know, this is what worries me too! I know a couple people who have gotten the flu even after getting their shots this year; I really hope it doesn't stop them from getting it in the future.

It's still effective towards about half the virus out there, which is definitely better than not getting it and having no protection. Plus even if you get the mutated strains, it will still help boost your body's immune response towards them (since the vaccine strain is still similar to the mutated strains) so your chances of getting seriously ill are reduced.

But if you are showing flu symptoms, get to your doctor ASAP and get an antiviral! The earlier you take one, the more it will help (which is especially important for us pregnant women!).

astratton12 · December 2014

Is there anything else we can do to be proactive about not getting the flu? Aside from being careful about washing hands, of course. Are we considered high risk for the flu or is it more dangerous when you're pregnant?

PuppyLove84 · December 2014

"Flu is more likely to cause severe illness in pregnant women than in women who are not pregnant. Changes in the immune system, heart, and lungs during pregnancy make pregnant women more prone to severe illness from flu as well as hospitalizations and even death. Pregnant woman with flu also have a greater chance for serious problems for their unborn baby, including premature labor and delivery." https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/pregnant.htm

Other than hand washing, I think just being careful about touching your mouth and face is important. Use hand sanitizer and wipe down surfaces that a lot of people touch. Stay away from sick people. Try to stay in good health and get plenty of sleep. That's all I really know of!

Whitfry · December 2014

That's a risk with any flu vaccine.

But one of my clients had the raging flu and kept coughing on me, and I've managed to escape with nothing so far but a cold and a sore throat. So I'm counting my "one time I got the flu shot" as a win.

drudolph11 · December 2014

Yea I can be the first to attest to this. My mom just got it really bad after a flu and pneumonia shot and ended up in the hospital. She has Lupus which is an auto immune disease which was the cause of her hospital stay but in relation to pregnancy our immune systems are also compromised. I have been trying to get my SO to get a damn flu shot and he just wont so now maybe this will convince him.

JCWhitey · December 2014

I got my flu shot very early (like September?) and got the flu a few weeks ago. But it wasn't as bad as I'm sure it could have been without the shot.

Lovebeingamomny · December 2014

Yeah I hate my job right now because I see sick people all day long. The first 3 that had positive flu tests weren't told to wear a mask at the front desk. I was wearing a mask to go see the patients but they were allowed to walk through the halls without a mask. I was fucking pissed and flew off the handle every time. Now the front staff gets it and anyone with so much as a sniffle gets a mask. I still always wear mask and gloves and sanitize everything but I'm still paranoid. I wish I could just refuse to see them.

ngolimento · December 2014

Yeah I didn't want to wear a mask on the airplane this Xmas, but now I kinda have too. Baaaah.

colleen4019 · December 2014

Does it really help to wear a mask on the plane?

janda426 · December 2014

colleen4019 said:
Does it really help to wear a mask on the plane?

It's a barrier to prevent germs from getting through your nose and mouth so I'm sure it helps some. Also would prevent you from touching your mouth which is like, how a HUGE majority of people get sick.

kaydedid · December 2014

Another big one is to wash your hands before you eat anything, especially after being in a public place. I caught myself grabbing a grape from the grocery bag while driving home, and threw it out since my hands had touched all sorts of germy things at the store.

Also, you might want to sanitize your workstation if possible, especially if anyone else uses it. Keyboards, mice, and phones are particularly bad since they get touched all the time but rarely get cleaned well.

The increased hand washing from having to pee 12x a day is probably working out in our favor though.

mamajack86 · December 2014

I got the flu back at then end of August, then beginning of October got the flu shot during a prenatal exam then got the flu again in November. I still get a shot every year, it's just this year I was unlucky. All my students were back to back sick for over a month, so I figured I was bound to catch it.

lib1974 · December 2014

Peledreamsofrain said:
Yeah I didn't want to wear a mask on the airplane this Xmas, but now I kinda have too. Baaaah.

I wore one when I flew for thanksgiving. Yep I was that girl and I didn't care one bit. I even had a couple of "now that girl is smart" comments.

Aeml1985 · December 2014

Before you all panic and clutch your pearls; every year the flu vaccine is a calculated "guess" based on the Southern Hemisphere's flu season. Influenza mutates all the time, hence needing a new vaccine every year, and that is why you can still get influenza even with the vaccines, there is no way to cover you from all the strains. And to those of you who got the "flu", did you go to your dr and have a nasal pharyngeal swab done that confirmed your diagnosis? Maybe you just had a cold. Just some food for thought.

janda426 · December 2014

Aeml1985 said:
Before you all panic and clutch your pearls; every year the flu vaccine is a calculated "guess" based on the Southern Hemisphere's flu season. Influenza mutates all the time, hence needing a new vaccine every year, and that is why you can still get influenza even with the vaccines, there is no way to cover you from all the strains. And to those of you who got the "flu", did you go to your dr and have a nasal pharyngeal swab done that confirmed your diagnosis? Maybe you just had a cold. Just some food for thought.

Who's pearl clutching...? We're all hardcore flu shot advocates. We also know how the flu shot works. I'm not sure who you're trying to convince here?

ngolimento · December 2014

janda426 said:

Aeml1985 said:
Before you all panic and clutch your pearls; every year the flu vaccine is a calculated "guess" based on the Southern Hemisphere's flu season. Influenza mutates all the time, hence needing a new vaccine every year, and that is why you can still get influenza even with the vaccines, there is no way to cover you from all the strains. And to those of you who got the "flu", did you go to your dr and have a nasal pharyngeal swab done that confirmed your diagnosis? Maybe you just had a cold. Just some food for thought.
Who's pearl clutching...? We're all hardcore flu shot advocates. We also know how the flu shot works. I'm not sure who you're trying to convince here?

Yeah ditto. A helpful public health announcement does not equal panic. And yes, every year a panel guesses what virus will be the major player, sometimes they get it wrong. A) That isn't what happened here, and

we've talked about virus mutation before, so we're not clueless morons.

JCWhitey · December 2014

Yes, I had a flu test done. Mostly because DS was also sick and I didn't want him to have that test done so I sucked it up and they diagnosed us both based on my test. I love how posts like this always has that one person who assumes no one ever goes to a doctor.

As for masks, I've always been a bit sketchy about how well they work, but I used to work at an animal center where I was allergic to a few of the animals in my care and had to clean their cages on a daily basis. I'd have horrible allergic reactions with swollen eyes and difficulty breathing so my boss suggested I try a mask. It worked! I was still told to avoid cleaning the guinea pig cages (my big allergen) but I could clean the bunny cages and rat cages and be in the same room as the guinea pigs without having any sort of reaction. So that mask prevented hair and dander or whatever from passing through, I imagine it would do equally well with many airborne germs, but it prevents you from touching your mouth when you are wearing it.

ngolimento · December 2014

chilibeansm0m said:
I'm not in panic mode. Everyone has great points. Like i said. Im hoping this isn't really a HUGE deal.

Sorry man, even calmly and intelligently discussing the issue is pearl clutching. It probably has to do with the fact we have ovaries. Everyone knows people with ovaries aren't capable of calm and well informed discussions.

beccaj25 · December 2014

Also, when you take off the mask, make sure you don't touch the front of it. It gets wet from your breath and then whatever germs are trapped there from the outside can get transferred to your hands.

Oh the joys of working in a children's hospital during croup/flu season

JCWhitey · December 2014

EmpireRecords24 said:

Do people really not know the difference between a cold an the flu? I have a tough time believing that. Do you feel miserably sick and awful and pathetic? You have a cold. Do you feel like death and are debating your will to live? You have the flu.

Bahaha! We all had the flu at the same time (DH, the baby, myself) and I swear DH thought his life was truly coming to an end. He kept moaning and groaning and asking me to kill him and put him out of his misery. I was trying to be the brave one and carry on to take care of everyone else which of course made me bitter and really want to kill him for being the one who got to stay in bed all day and moan. I wanted to do that, too!

blueroad · December 2014

This was the first year I ever got a flu shot. I only got it because my ob/gyn insisted. A week and a few days later, I got the flu. And pneumonia. Brilliant.

janda426 · December 2014

blueroad said:
This was the first year I ever got a flu shot. I only got it because my ob/gyn insisted. A week and a few days later, I got the flu. And pneumonia. Brilliant.

It takes about two weeks to build an immunity, so sucks you didn't get it sooner.

jack12trip · December 2014

This makes me feel justified for throwing some serious shade at the people coughing and sneezing without covering their mouths on the plane last week...

Want a personalized experience?

CDC announcement about flu vaccine

Re: CDC announcement about flu vaccine

Choose Another Board

Search Boards