The Flu When Pregnant – Should Pregnant Women Get The Flu Vaccine? As autumn comes to an end, the colder days and chilly nights start to set in, while the media and pharmaceutical companies begin reminding us that the flu season is upon us once again. As a result, many people start thinking about the flu vaccine and decide if they are going to line up for the annual flu shot. If you’re pregnant, you’re probably also wondering if the vaccine is safe for you and your baby. Something important to understand is that you don’t get those unpleasant cold and flu symptoms because it’s cold outside (sorry mum, you were wrong with all the nagging me to wear a jumper or i’ll catch a cold thing!), or from an inconsiderate someone rudely spreading their nasty germs all over you. Also, death from the actual flu virus itself is very rare. There is another important side to it, which I will explain as we go along. But firstly, there are some things you probably didn’t know about the flu vaccine which even surprised me when I first found out. These things are readily accessible on the web, even on credible agency and government websites, so I welcome you to look it up yourself if you would like more information. Hopefully I can at least give you some sort of awareness and interest in researching things more fully, so you can feel more in control and confident of your healthcare decisions – for you and your family. Let’s start with a big one which should have you thinking: did you know that the flu vaccine is produced many months (even up to a year) before the flu season actually hits? The vaccine’s formula is based on guesswork as to what the perceived flu threat will be in the next ‘flu season’, based on whats currently going around. The three viruses which are selected for the annual vaccine are injected into and grown in chick embryos before being placed into the vaccine. Chickens have to be one of the most abused animals on the planet. While the thinking behind this method of vaccine production may well be that it allows pharmaceutical companies to be prepared to dish out the vast quantity of vaccines when flu season hits (which you may think makes sense) it also means that the shot you have may already be redundant if its not the bug that’s taking everyone down in the current flu season.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 10:00:00 +0000