There is a lot of conflicting information out there about flu shots; particularly about getting flu shot during pregnancy – while many prominent voices tend to urge against vaccinations as being unnecessary or even harmful, there are medical experts and government recommendations that advise pregnant women to get the flu shot in their own and their baby’s interests.
Pregnant women tend to worry about most things and the idea of getting a flu shot in pregnancy can be equally worrisome.
This is particularly the case with the sort of news stories that tend to circulate about vaccines; with people in the media alleging that risk of autism and the Guillain–Barré syndrome rises among those who get flu shots, swine flu shots and so on.
Barring some misguided celebrities and so on however, most medical experts seem to agree that getting a flu shot when pregnant is to be recommended. Most people tolerate flu shots very well and even though there may be some side effects they are usually mild, and the benefits outweigh these minor discomforts such as –
The above side effects and rumors aside, there are a number of reasons why women are advised to have the flu shot during pregnancy. While flu itself is not considered life threatening, it can lead to life threatening complications and pregnant women are particularly at risk because pregnancy is a time of lowered immune responses.
Getting the flu during pregnancy is also seen to increase risk of having a miscarriage and certain other kinds of complications. Research has shown that women who have had a flu shot in pregnancy are less likely to need hospitalization as a result of getting the flu.
There is also the fact that taking the flu shot in pregnancy helps protect the baby soon after birth as well. New born babies and infants of up to 6 months of age are most at risk of having the kind of flu that requires a hospital stay.
However a new study claims that babies born to women who took their flu shot during pregnancy were protected against the flu even 6 months after birth – the babies born to mothers who took their flu shots were 45% less likely to have the flu after birth.
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