I am also concerned about H1N1. I work in an elementary school and while we are strongly encouraging hand washing for the kids, and I am using hand sanitizer like it's going out of style, it's still a concern. I have only had the flu shot once a few years ago, but I had a bad reaction to it and haven't had it since. I don't plan on having the regular flu shot this year, and I have my reservations on having the H1N1 shot --has there been enough time to fully research how it affects an unborn child? I plan on asking my Dr. about it on my Oct. 22 appt.

I'd be interested in hearing what others have to say!

I called my Dr and just had a call back. They recommend getting the regular flu vaccine and also the H1N1. They do not give them in their office and I would need to go to my regular Dr. She said my regular Dr would probably ask for a written release from my OB and the OB will not give the release until I am seen for my 1st appt (which is not till 10/23). So looks like even if I decide to get the vaccines I can't get them for a couple of weeks anyway. I have the same concern as you Mizboots. How do they know it will not harm an unborn baby? It has not been around long enough to test this. I asked the nurse and she said the vaccine will not enter the placenta and will not get to the baby. I also emailed my Aunt who is a nurse in a hospital and she said she recommends to everyone to get the H1N1 and the regular flu vaccine. She has seen a 17 yr old boy with H1N1 put on a ventilator and later died from it. She has seen a lot of cases hospitalized and then recovered. The people that are dying from it are people that end up getting a strain of pneumonia from the H1N1 and it is resistant to most medications. She is getting both vaccines and making her grandchildren get it as well. She told me to take more precautions than I usually do. Wash hands frequently, don't shake hands with people if possible, if anyone around you is coughing move away from them immediately. The H1N1 spreads from droplets leaving your body mostly from coughing but also sneezing. She said to keep the anti-viral Kleenex in my office and if any of my employees or clients are coughing or sneezing ask them to use the Kleenex. Also keep anti-bacterial wipes around to wipe down computer, desk, etc that was touched by others. She said not to go crazy but to use common sense and just be more careful. You may want to get those Kleenex for your classroom. I have taught my son to sneeze and/or cough into the crook of his arm. So he doesn't go around touching everything. He is 6 yrs old and that is hard for him to remember. Sorry to be so long winded I just wanted everyone to know what I learned today in case it helps someone else.
I am curious to hear other's opinions on the vaccine.
~Kim~

hey guys, i have been curious about this topic too, especially because I work in the ER, so i know I will be exposed to this all season long. I just got off the phone with my dr's office (this post reminded me to finally call) and they said they do recommend getting both the regular and h1n1 flu shot. My sister in law (17weeks pg) also said her dr said the same, so I guess I will get it. I read online that it is really good to get, because the baby can't be vaccinated at birth, and would be susseptible to it, but when the pg mom gets the shot, it passes on to the baby and gives him passive immunity, so it protects the baby too. I guess I am just going to have to trust the dr and get it.

My co-worker just got a call from her DH. He had to pick their daughter up from school and took her to the Dr...she has H1N1. I asked co-worker if she has been around her DD a lot (dumb question, the child is 6) She slept with her last night b/c she did not feel well. Co-worker has been in my office all morning working on some client files together. I just disinfected my whole office. Apparently, it is running rampant in the area I live. I am leaning more and more towards getting the shot and also for my DS.

I'm not quite convinced enough to get the H1N1 yet. I already got the seasonal flu shot, which I would recommend because like Markelle said, it's the only way to protect the infant after it's born, that being said, how on earth would it get to the baby's system to protect him/her without it crossing the placenta. And how would the seasonal flu cross the placenta but not the H1N1 vaccine. In my opinion the DRs. reccommendation for the H1N1 shot for pregnant women is coming from the news...where else would they get their information from so early?

This is my last point. They keep saying 1/3rd of PG women who got H1N1 died. Not true. In the whole united states. Out of 303,824,640 (july 2008 est) people in the united states, 100 pregnant women have gotten sick enough to be admitted to an ICU. 28 of those PG women have died.....28 PG women in the whole US....that's not a lot, and it's not enough to convince me to get a shot that has not been tested enough for the affects of the unborn child. The babies from the PG women trials haven't even been born yet! How can they even know if it is something that is safe to get within the first trimester? In one article I read it claims that the CDC is aware of 700 cases of swine flu affecting PG women. out of 700, 28 have died. That's .04% not .28% as the news is trying to claim...

To each his own, and we all may change our mind's later...just hope I end up making the right decision ya know...

After I read Markelle's post I started to do some research b/c what the nurse said to me doesn't seem to add up. Looking back on that conversation she was really pushing me to call my general practitioner. I truly do not think she knew enough about it to advise me. I have 2 weeks to think about before my 1st appt and maybe they will know more about it by then. I also read that the H1N1 symptoms are the same as seasonal flu but they are not as bad. The media is making such a big deal about it because it spreads so fast. So the main concern is the highly contagious nature of it and not the actual symptoms. People die of the flu every year also and we never seem to here about it in the news like we are the H1N1. I read that Dr are really recommending the vaccine to pregnant women who have other underlying illnesses (diabetes, asthma, heart problems, etc). The H1N1 flu is more likely to cause pneumonia in people with these conditions.
I would really like to see more info on this before I make a decision.

When I go for my u/s tomorrow I will ask my OB what she thinks. I kinda go back and forth too on whether to get it or not. I have NEVER gotten a regular flu shot so I don't know what to do.

I really hope that you bring us some good news back to this board after your appointment I'll be anxiously waiting.

My OB has said that I have to get both no questions asked...I work at a university and ride the metro everyday, plus pregnancy so I have triple the threat. I just went and got my regular flu shot on Tuesday and so far no side effects. I'm a bit concerned because I never really get sick and have never had the flu vaccine and now they want me to get both. I'm not convinced about the H1N1 yet and plan to talk to my general practitioner about it.

stevan- That is great that you have not had any side effects. I have gotten the flu shot before and I never had side effects (I wasn't pregnant at the time either). However, I got the flu mist a couple of years ago and I will NEVER do that again. I got so sick almost immediatley and was sick for a good week. (felt like I had the full blown flu). Let us know if you get the H1N1. I keep going back and forth on it.