According to a new Yale study, pregnant women who have had their shots have healthier babies and this leads to fewer hospitalizations in the long run. According to the study, which was conducted over a period of three years, having flu shots while pregnant is a simple and effective way for mothers to keep their new born babies from catching the flu.
The study found that when pregnant women were vaccinated, this could help prevent hospitalization of new borns more than 90 % of the time.
It is important to remember that there are no flu vaccines available for babies younger than 6 months of age, so safeguard babies from the flu virus in the crucial first 6 months of life, a flu shot for the expectant mother is vital.
The immunity that the mother develops is then passed on to the infant, protecting him or her from infection as well.
According to experts, having a flu shot while pregnant is also a cost effective strategy; because it protects two people with just one shot.
The other important reason for pregnant women to go ahead and have those flu shots is that having the flu can lead to miscarriage.
Also pregnant women have lowered immunity and may be more susceptible to the flu. It is recommended that pregnant women should have the flu shot made from an inactivated virus and not the nasal spray vaccine.
