The word from the Centers for Disease Control is that women who are pregnant are at high risk from the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu.
If you’re pregnant, you need to get vaccinated with both the seasonal and the H1N1 vaccines. It’s the single best way to protect yourself and your baby from the flu. And don’t let the anti-vaccination rumors swirling around the Internet scare you into delaying or avoiding a flu shot. According to the CDC, the seasonal flu vaccine has been administered to millions of women and has not been shown to harm women or their babies. The 2009 H1N1 flu shot is made in the same way and in the same places as the seasonal flu shot. You may receive both flu shots at the same time; however, they should be given at different sites on your body, e.g., left arm and right arm.
Although recent cases of swine flu have been diminishing, influenza epidemics tend to come in waves. So even if there are few new cases of the flu in your area, it may just be a lull and you could get hit by the next wave. Get vaccinated now, if the vaccines are available in your area. Get everyone in your household vaccinated to prevent the disease from spreading among family members. Babies under 6 months of age are too young to get the vaccine so it’s especially important to their health that other members of the household are vaccinated to protect against family members spreading the virus.
Here are some other ways you can protect yourself from the germs all around us.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. Or use small bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitizer you can carry in your purse.
- If you have flu symptoms, call your doctor immediately. Pregnant women tend to get more serious cases of this flu and it’s important to get treatment. Your doctor can prescribe medicines that will help.
- Don’t assume that, just because you don’t have a fever, you don’t have the flu. This flu doesn’t always cause fever.
- Try to avoid contact with others who appear ill. If someone in your family gets sick, ask your doctor to prescribe medications that may prevent you from getting sick, too, such as Tamiflu® or Relenza®.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue away immediately. If a tissue isn’t available, sneeze into your sleeve, not your hand.
- Keep your cabinets well stocked with non-perishable foods as well as other basics and medicine that you might need if you got sick.
The CDC warns that if you are pregnant and experience any of the following, you must call 911 immediately:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Rapid pulse over 100 beats per minute
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- A high fever that is not responding to Tylenol®
- Decreased or no movement of your baby
Just remember, the nasal spray vaccine is not licensed for use by pregnant women because it is a live, attenuated virus. Pregnant women should not receive nasal spray vaccine for either seasonal flu or 2009 H1N1 flu. After delivery, women can receive the nasal spray vaccine, even if they are breastfeeding.
In summary, get vaccinated, practice good hygiene, and call your doctor immediately if you get sick, and you and your baby should come through this flu season just fine.
– Yvonne S. Thornton, MD, MPH