Swine Flu Vaccination in pregnancy -Questions and Answers
Added: (Mon Nov 16 2009)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Last week many GP practices begin their H1N1 (swine flu) vaccination programme, initially targeting those considered most at risk, including pregnant women.
There has been much public discussion about the safety of the H1N1 immunisation for pregnant women.
A Mumsnet survey in September revealed that 48% of pregnant women who responded to their survey said that they would probably or definitely not have the swine flu vaccine. Pregnant women are naturally concerned about the effects on any vaccinations on their unborn babies.
We asked Dr Abu Chinwala a local NHS GP and managing partner of Southdowns Private Healthcare for his opinion and some facts about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine in pregnancy.
Questions and Answers with Dr Chinwala
Is Swine Flu on the increase?
The number of cases of swine flu is on the increase once again. According to ‘NHS Choices’ there were an estimated 84,000 new cases in the UK last week, rising slightly from the 78,000 new cases the previous week.
Are Pregnant women at greater risk?
Pregnant women are more susceptible to the swine flu virus. The data is clear - pregnant women are up to 10 times more likely to suffer serious complications as a result of catching swine flu and 5-30% of worldwide deaths from swine flu have been young, healthy, pregnant women, according to the World Health Organisation.
Is the vaccination safe?
But how safe is H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy? In short, it is very safe. Get vaccinated as soon as you possibly can and protect yourself and your unborn baby. Avoid people with confirmed cases of swine flu and wash your hands regularly.
Has it just been rushed through?
Many people are worried that the vaccine has been rushed through and not properly tested, but this is not true. Drug companies have been preparing a vaccine for pandemic flu for years and the basic vaccine for this strain of flu is known to be very safe. The H1N1 vaccine has undergone all the safety checks and clinical trials already and the European Medicines Agency has given a clear recommendation that the GlaxoSmithKline vaccine can be given safely to pregnant women.
How does it work?
Only one dose of vaccine is required to produce an adequate immune response that will protect the vast majority of women against swine flu.
Would you take it?
As a GP I have been offered the vaccination, which I had this week. Fiona, my wife, who is also a GP and had our third child last week, is planning to get herself vaccinated as soon as she is invited to by her GP. By receiving the vaccine, she will be protecting herself from infection and in doing so will not risk passing the infection on to our newborn daughter.
The views expressed are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for.
Dr Chinwala is a practicing NHS GP who has recently set up
Southdowns Private Healthcare offering GP services, health checks and immunisations at The SPIRE hospital in Portsmouth. You can read his blog at www.southdownsprivatehealthcare.co.uk
Notes for the editor:
From the NHS website: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pandemic-flu/Pages/Adviceforpregnantwomen.aspx
If you are pregnant and you catch swine flu, the symptoms should be similar to those of regular flu. You will typically have a fever or high temperature (over 38°C/100.4°F) and two or more of the following:
unusual tiredness,
headache,
runny nose,
sore throat,
shortness of breath or cough,
loss of appetite,
aching muscles,
diarrhoea or vomiting
Possible complications are:
pneumonia (an infection of the lungs),
difficulty breathing, and
dehydration.
In pregnant women, these are more likely to happen in the second and third trimester.