H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccination for Pregnant Women

There has been lots of controversy about the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccinations for pregnant women.

During pregnancy, any type of flu can get bad very quickly and be complicated by infections such as pneumonia or by fetal distress.

As pregnancy evolves, a woman's diaphragm is pushed upward and she has decreased lung capacity. This makes respiratory disease more dangerous.

A pregnant woman's immune system shifts away from the kinds of immune responses most effective in battling viral infections. This makes her more susceptible to some viral diseases such as flu. Your immune system is weaker when you're pregnant, so you're more vulnerable to illness in general.

Many moms-to-be who get the flu have no complications. But statistically, you're more likely to develop a severe case when you're pregnant.

Pregnant women who are otherwise healthy have already been severely affected by the 2009 swine flu virus. More pregnant women have been hospitalized with H1N1, and some have died compared to the general population.

The CDC has details on 266 of the 305 U.S. swine flu deaths reported as of July 29. Fifteen of these 266 deaths -- about 6% -- were among pregnant women. Most of the deaths were among women in their third trimester.

The H1N1 Swine Flu has been said to be very dangerous to pregnant women and most doctors are encouraging their patients to get the vaccination. But is it actually safe for women and their babies?

The package inserts for the swine flu vaccines actually say that the safety of these vaccines for pregnant women has not been established. And miscarriage reports from pregnant women who have taken the H1N1 swine flu vaccine are starting to pour in from all over the nation.

We do more research before buying a car or cell phone than we do before injecting ourselves with an experimental shot.

U.S. Health authorities have made pregnant women one of the highest priority groups for getting the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. But women are more reluctant to get this vaccination because it is so new and has not been tested to be sure that it is safe for pregnant women and their unborn children.

So what should pregnant women do? Take the chance of getting this rising deadly flu or take the chance and get an unknown shot that may or may not even protect against the virus.

Doctors say that the H1N1 Swine Flu vaccination shot is just like the seasonal flu shot they give out every year but with a different strand and say that it should not harm the women or the unborn child.

When mothers or expecting mothers here in Rexburg were asked whether they would get vaccinated 16 out of 25 people said no 7 of 25 people said yes get the vaccination and 2 out of that 25 were torn.