Whose getting the H1N1 vaccine??? And whose not..???

[Suzan1975]

Pregnant Moms,

I know there has been alot of studies/facts going around this past while surrounding the anticipated H1N1 vaccine that is to hit Canada in the coming weeks ahead in November and also in the USA in 2 weeks time..

I know some of you may have had the flu shot in the past with previous pregnancies...But I was wondering what your take is on this news of this upcoming H1N1 pandemic that they are prediciting to hit this flu season...

Also I know what in my heart and mind what I want to do...But logic tells me otherwise..I just wanted to get a consensus as to what you all are feeling about this...

Thanks so much!

[jesika1]

I myself will not be getting any shots espeically the H1N1 shot. Doctors are not experts on the drug... the only people that know what is in it and what It will do are the ones that created it. The doctors are paid to tell you it's safe, they get something out of it. Just like drugs.. they get samples and try to push it on you. That's how it is in the US anyway. My OB stated that if she was pregnant that she would not get the shot. The last time I've had the flew was 10 or more years ago and I will make sure It stays that way and continue to do the ole natural way. I know people who are sick all the time now and they have admitted to me that ever since they had the flu shot they've been constantly sick where as before they were much healthier and hardly ever got a cold. I will take my chances and not drugs drugs that our bodies are not designed to really take. People die from drugs that the FDA approve everyday and you all want to TRUST that the drug is safe? But at the end of the day everyone has the right to make their own decision and  whatever decision they make they will have to live with. That's what I love about free speech and this forum, you can voice your opinion and people listen and then make a choice for what is best for them.

[jenstam]

I was just listening to NPR last night and there was a public health advocate on stating that Canada has done a study in BC, I believe, that proves that people who had the regular flu vaccination are more susceptible to H1N1! They aren't sure why but they are currently looking for a medical journal to print these findings and that Canada is changing their policy on who gets the flu vaccine as a result. Has anyone else heard this?

[jenstam]

Here is the article:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/09/23/flu-shots-h1n1-seasonal.html

[adgal]

Yeah, it's on the news here in Alberta as well.  I asked about it at out Pandemic planning meeting yesterday. Basically it is being met with a fair amount of skepticism.  It has not been peer reviewed yet, however they are seriously looking at it.  As it stands today, both vaccines are still being recommended. We receive the regular flu vaccine in about 2 weeks and the H1N1 should be available here mid November.  It was suggested that we have them about 1 month apart. I guess it's a wait and see right now...they are studying it.  

[JourneyJoJo]

It's my understanding that Ontario & Quebec have changed their plan to offer the seasonal flu vaccine first and then the H1N1 vaccine and have put people who had the seasonal flu shot last year as a priority over those who have not (pregnant women and children are still a priority).

It is also important to know that of the 6 pregnant women in the US whom they believe died from H1N1 died from complications associated with respiratory problems subsequent to pneumonia.  They do not indicate whether or not these particular women had a history of respiratory illness.

For me, I will apply this information by ensuring that the second I start to show flu-like symptoms (if I show symptoms), that I will be contacting my doctor immediately and getting medical intervention as required.  I'm also taking other means including staying away from crowded places, etc, but I am fortunate in that I don't work with the public.  If I was working with children or in a medical facility, it would be a much more difficult decision for me and I would probably seriously consider it and not take the risk.

Here is part of the abstract from the original study that sparked the controversey and was published in the Lancet (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19643469):

From April 15 to May 18, 2009, 34 confirmed or probable cases of pandemic H1N1 in pregnant women were reported to CDC from 13 states. 11 (32%) women were admitted to hospital. The estimated rate of admission for pandemic H1N1 influenza virus infection in pregnant women during the first month of the outbreak was higher than it was in the general population (0.32 per 100 000 pregnant women, 95% CI 0.13-0.52 vs 0.076 per 100 000 population at risk, 95% CI 0.07-0.09). Between April 15 and June 16, 2009, six deaths in pregnant women were reported to the CDC; all were in women who had developed pneumonia and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation. INTERPRETATION: Pregnant women might be at increased risk for complications from pandemic H1N1 virus infection. These data lend support to the present recommendation to promptly treat pregnant women with H1N1 influenza virus infection with anti-influenza drugs. FUNDING: US CDC.

[lcgnyc]

I discussed with my doctor yesterday, a maternal-fetal OB/GYN, and she recommended both flu and H1N1 without reservation.  She added that in NY a special formula isprovided to pregnant women that contains only trace amounts of mercury (as compared to higher levels for general population, I guess).  Living in the NYC region and taking public transportation nearly everywhere, I'm concerned about the viruses. It's a personal decision, most definitely.