Flu Vaccination During Pregnancy

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Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

Hello All! Just have a question, looking for opinions, even though it is too late to change my mind now. I am 16 weeks pregnant. I work in the hospital full time and in an outpatient surgery center on call so I am around people with germs all the time. My doctor recommends that pregnant women receive the flu shot. It seems that 99% of the websites that I have reviewed also recommend it for pregnant women. I had the flu shot done today in light of the pregnancy and working in a hospital setting- as a side note, I have gotten the flu shot every year for awhile. I do not want to come down with the flu this winter since I will be pregnant throughout the entire flu season. I am slightly concerned about the Thimersol found in the vaccine- I did not receive a preservative free injection (couldn't seem to find them offered anywhere)- even though everything that I read seems to say that the amount in the vaccine is minimal. I chose to have the injection since there can be serious side effects of the flu, especially since I am around sick people all the time. Just curious to know what others that work with pregnant women think!

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I've gotten flu shots with all my pregnancies.

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This is from the cdc site:

(http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/thimerosal.htm)

Is it safe for pregnant women to receive an influenza vaccine that contains thimerosal?

Yes. A study of influenza vaccination examining over 2,000 pregnant women demonstrated no adverse fetal effects associated with influenza vaccine. Case reports and limited studies indicate that pregnancy can increase the risk for serious medical complications of influenza. One study found that out of every 10,000 women in their third trimester of pregnancy during an average flu season, 25 will be hospitalized for flu related complications. Additionally, influenza-associated excess deaths among pregnant women have been documented during influenza pandemics. Because pregnant women are at increased risk for influenza-related complications and because a substantial safety margin has been incorporated into the health guidance values for organic mercury exposure, the benefits of influenza vaccine with reduced or standard thimerosal content outweighs the theoretical risk, if any, of thimerosal.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Hello All! Just have a question, looking for opinions, even though it is too late to change my mind now. I am 16 weeks pregnant. I work in the hospital full time and in an outpatient surgery center on call so I am around people with germs all the time. My doctor recommends that pregnant women receive the flu shot.!

My daughter is 37 wks pregnant. There's a sign at the OB's office that says all pregnant women should get a flu shot but not the flu mist. You'll be fine. Relax.

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Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

Thanks for the replies! I keep telling myself this over and over (and prior to the shot, I researched what the cdc had to say and everything)...just one of those crazy in the head moments I guess...I am usually so low stress too!

I know we'll all be fine (sure is hard not to stress over little things though).

Thanks!

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I'm only a student but I am 37 weeks pregnant and I just got my flu shot. With my last pregnancy I didn't get one, my daughter wasn't born in flu season and I was only in the late first/early second trimester during flu shot time.

This time the baby is due in November so I am already late third trimester. I THINK I can pass some immunities to him by having the shot while pregnant and I plan on breastfeeding so I decided it would be good this time since he would be too young to get it himself. I am worried about him being exposed to flu through day care and me being in the hospital for clinicals.

Most other women I know get it during pregnancy, I just lean a little toward the crunchy granola side and don't usually take meds or shots. Hope that helps!

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

Greetings. I am due to get my flu shot soon (my hospital just did get the darn thing).

A pregnancy forum I frequent has had a lot of heated debates on this subject recently. Many of the women there are also against vac's or go with delayed vac's.

Apparently, there is some mercury in the flu vac, and someone where in some articles there is a theory that mercury in vac's can lead to autism in children.

IMO, I'm probably getting more mercury from the fish I ate for dinner than I am from the flu shot. As an ER nurse, I'm at a greater risk (as is baby) by NOT getting the shot. :rolleyes:

The CDC article is an awesome one, BTW!

-Andrea

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Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

Andrea- that is why I decided to get the shot too, with all of the sick people that I come into contact with there is a greater risk of me getting the flu- especially since I will be pregnant the entire flu season! I eat fish intermittently so I don't get alot of organic mercury (this month I am laying off the tuna!!) My hospital just got the shot too- my obs office dosen't get their shots until about december this year.

I too visit a pregnancy forum that has a heated (though often misinformed) debate about vaccinations in general. Actually this forum had a debate about them too a while back. Intresting reading (but not if you are pregnant- just gives you too much to worry about!)

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