Should I Get the Flu Shot While Pregnant?

I am a mother so I understand the anxiety some mothers-to-be have about either taking certain medications or getting an immunization during their pregnancy. It is natural to be protective of your unborn baby. As a mother, you will soon find that you will be making important decisions about your baby's health. The most important thing to do is research and base your decisions on your findings, beliefs and instincts.

One of the first decisions you will have to make is whether to get the flu shot if your pregnancy falls during the flu season (November to March). Physicians recommend that women wait until after their first trimester. This article will give you an overview of what the flu shot is and what research is saying about the safety of the immunization during pregnancy.

The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine, which means it contains no live virus. Since it does not contain a live virus, experts say that it is safe for pregnant women. Studies have shown that there have been no ill effects to the mother or fetus.

Thimerosal is the classic "flu shot" but it contains a very small amount of mercury, which is considered safe by CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). However, California state law says that the influenza vaccine cannot have any amount of mercury whatsoever for children under 36 months of age and pregnant women. Since this law went into effect July 1, 2006, the PAMF provides thimerosal-free vaccines for those two groups of individuals.

If you are allergic to eggs you may have a severe allergic reaction to the flu shot since eggs are used to make the flu shot. If you do get the thimerosal type of flu shot it is important if you know if you are allergic to thimerosal, which is a preservative in contact lens solutions. Side effects from the flu shot are rare and the most common is soreness around the site of where the injection was given. Some do experience a fever or muscle soreness but these effects last only for 1 to 2 days.

Make an educated decision and do what you feel is right for you and your baby. This will be the first of many times you will wonder if this is the right thing to do for you and your family so you might as well start now. Research, think and listen to your motherly instinct.

Sources: http://www.pamf.org/flu/preg.html
http://health.rutgers.edu/Immunizations/Flu.htm#sideeffects