OBGYN's Appointment

I went to my OBGYN's appointment yesterday and everything went well. They gave me swine flu shot yesterday. Thank God I finally got it. I was worried that they may not have the vaccine again but I'm glad they have. They also drew some blood for my glucose test and still waiting for the result. My doctor told me if there is any complications with the test they will just call me but if not I will just see her on the next appointment which is a couple of weeks from now. Yes, since my appointment yesterday, my appointment will be every 2 weeks now which is good because they can monitor more about my pregnancy. My doctor said that Ady Mae is doing good and guess what I gained so much wait..Waaaaah! Oh well, it's for our baby so there is nothing to worry about it. That is all the happening yesterday and I am glad it went well. Have a great Tuesday morning!

What Pregnant Women Need To Know About Swine Flu - Risks, Statistics, Prevention and Vaccination

This was sent to my email and I would like to share this to everyone especially to all pregnant women.

A pregnant woman who suspects that she might have swine flu should call or see her doctor immediately. In fact the CDC even advises that pregnant women should call their doctor if they've been in close contact with anyone who has swine flu.

Facts about Swine Flu in Pregnant Women

• Up until mid-October 2009, 6% of swine flu related deaths in the US have been in pregnant women.
• Pregnant women have also been hospitalized more as a result of swine flu compared to the general population.
• Pregnant women given seasonal flu shots in a recent study passed the positive effects of immunization to their unborn child, significantly reducing flu sickness in babies younger than 6 months.
• The new H1N1 vaccine for pregnant women is currently undergoing trials to determine its safety. So far flu shots have not been deemed harmful for pregnant women.

Why are Pregnant Women at Higher Risk from Swine Flu?

Pregnant women are a high-risk group for swine flu complications because the illness may cause complications such as pneumonia and premature labor. A woman's immune system may be somewhat weakened during pregnancy, making her more susceptible to illness in general. And anything that causes a pregnant woman distress may ultimately cause fetal distress as well.

How Can Pregnant Women Prevent Getting Swine Flu?

The precautions for pregnant women are the same as for the rest of the population. The top things to do for prevention are:

• Regularly and thoroughly wash hands
• Avoid contact with people infected with swine flu
• Get a flu shot

Are Swine Flu Vaccinations Safe for Pregnant Women?

The first step in swine flu prevention is protection. Pregnant women can significantly reduce their chances of contracting swine flu by getting an annual flu shot. Flu shots for the current strain of the H1N1 flu virus are expected to be available by October 2009 for the flu season lasting through February 2010.

Pregnant women should consult with their doctor to schedule a flu shot as soon as one becomes available in their region. The CDC advises pregnant women to get two vaccinations: a seasonal flu shot combined with the H1N1 (swine flu causing) flu shot. Taken together they are more effective in protecting pregnant women and their fetus from flu-like illness. Both flu shots are regarded as safe for pregnant women to take.

What Should Pregnant Women Do if They Have Swine Flu?

The best course of action for an infected pregnant woman is to stay at home, avoid infecting others, and call or see her doctor right away. The doctor will most likely put her on anti-viral medication such as Tamiflu or Relenza. If she has a fever, she can take acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol). A typical course of anti-viral medication runs for 5 days and can be taken anytime during pregnancy. It has not shown to have any harmful effects on the growing fetus.

Flu Vaccine Requirement for Health Workers Is Lifted

The Paterson administration backed away on Thursday evening from a health regulation that would have compelled hundreds of thousands of health care workers and hospital volunteers to be vaccinated for seasonal and swine flu. Claudia Hutton, a spokeswoman for the State Health Department, said in an interview Thursday night that the regulation had been suspended because of a shortage of H1N1 vaccine. She said that given the shortage, the state wanted to concentrate its vaccination efforts on pregnant women and children. “Since the vaccine is so scarce right now and since the virus has proved especially difficult for pregnant women and young people — there have been deaths — we felt that the best use of the scarce amount of vaccine right now is for those populations,” Ms. Hutton said. In August, the state health commissioner, Dr. Richard F. Daines, issued a regulation ordering health care workers to be vaccinated by Nov. 30, and hospitals warned that workers who refused could be disciplined or fired. But last week, a judge in Albany halted enforcement of the rule in response to a lawsuit filed by three nurses who claimed that the requirement needed legislative approval and that the commissioner had overstepped his authority. Ms. Hutton said that Dr. Daines’s change of policy — which was announced late Thursday in a statement from the office of Gov. David A. Paterson — was not influenced by the litigation. New York found itself isolated in its insistence on mandatory vaccinations. No other state adopted a similar regulation, and neither the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the World Health Organization were recommending mandatory H1N1 vaccinations. Some public health experts had applauded the rule. But referring to mandatory vaccination, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the federal centers, said last summer that “this is just not the right flu season to take this on,” because of the logistical difficulties of distributing both seasonal and swine flu vaccines. Those logistical concerns turned out to be warranted. The governor pointed to a statement by the centers that said that only about 23 percent of the anticipated vaccine supply would be available by month’s end. So far this week, the federal agency has allowed the state to order 146,300 doses of vaccine, while physicians have asked for more than 1.48 million doses, Ms. Hutton said. “They don’t expect things to get markedly better until well into November, perhaps December,” Ms. Hutton said. “Even while the mandate was in effect, we were telling our hospital workers that if you have a choice of vaccinating patients or workers, please vaccinate patients.”Terence L. Kindlon, a lawyer for the three nurses, said on Thursday evening: “This is a good result, because the decision whether or not to be vaccinated is one that should be made by the individual. That’s all we ever wanted to establish here: the right to make that choice.”

Swine Flu Outbreak

Half of those hospitalized with the new H1N1 virus are under 25, a clear illustration that the pandemic is affecting the young disproportionately, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday. They said reports from 27 U.S. states show 53 percent of people sick enough to be hospitalized with H1N1 flu are under the age of 25, with only 7 percent of hospitalizations among people 65 and older. "This is really, really different from what we see with seasonal flu," the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat told reporters. "With seasonal flu, about 60 percent of hospitalizations occur in people 65 and over. She stressed the report was incomplete but said if anything, it was underestimating the extent of the pandemic. And an analysis of 292 deaths from 28 states showed that younger people than usual are also dying, she said. "Almost a quarter of deaths are occurring in young people under the age of 25. Specifically, 23.6 percent of the deaths are in that age group. About 65 percent of the deaths are in people 25 to 64 years of age," Schuchat said. Just 12 percent of deaths were among people over 65. In a normal year, 90 percent of those who die from flu are over 65. With cooler weather, other viruses and infections are showing up, making the picture confusing. Schuchat said influenza is being diagnosed in about 30 percent of all people showing up with "influenza-like illness," symptoms that include cough, sore throat, fever and aches. Almost all influenza is turning out to be H1N1 rather than seasonal influenza and Schuchat said the tests often miss cases of H1N1, so the percentage may be higher. Ordinary colds, group A streptococcus, which causes "strep throat", and other infections can cause similar symptoms. The U.S. government is trying to vaccinate people against both seasonal influenza and H1N1 at the same time, making both vaccines available as manufacturers finish, bottle and get them approved batch by batchFive companies make both types for the U.S. market: Sanofi-Aventis SA, CSL Ltd, Novartis AG, GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca unit MedImmune. Schuchat said H1N1 vaccine was becoming available slowly.

Flu Shot

Had my flu shot a while ago. My left arm is a little bit sore and hopefully it won't get worst tomorrow. This is just the first shot. I still have one more shot on my next appointment which is the swine flu shot. The shot that I had a while ago was the seasonal flu shot..Whheewww!!!You know how I hated needles but oh well, it's for my own good and for our baby.