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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Should I get a flu shot while I'm pregnant?

Should I get a flu shot even though I'm pregnant? This was one of our concern when I had my Doctors appointment just recently. My OBGYN required me to get my flu shot vaccine as soon as possible. Actually she required me two (2) Flu Shots Vaccine. One is the seasonal flu shot and the other one is swine flu shot. She said, getting a flu shot is safe during my pregnancy. Just make sure tie differences are not to close to get the second vaccine. She required at least a couple of weeks before taking the second vaccine. We will try to get my first flu shot within this week and will have my second flu shot on my next appointment.

For more details:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) all recommend a flu shot for women who will be pregnant during flu season (October to mid-May). That's because if you get the flu while you're pregnant, you're more likely to have serious complications, such as pneumonia, that could put you and your baby at risk. What's more, there's evidence that getting a flu shot during pregnancy offers your baby some protection after birth: Anti-flu antibodies that you develop after getting the shot are passed to your baby, providing him with immunity that may be protective until he's 5 or 6 months old. This is important because young babies who catch the flu are at particular risk for serious illness, but they can't be vaccinated themselves until they're 6 months old. Learn more about flu shots for children. Your caregiver should offer you a flu shot at a regularly scheduled prenatal visit. If she doesn't, ask for one. Get your shot as early in the season as possible. Sometimes the vaccine is available as early as September or even late August. If you missed getting vaccinated during the fall, you can still get a shot in December or even later, although the sooner you do so the better. Keep in mind that the vaccine won't be fully effective for two weeks afterward.

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