Swine Flu Vaccine for Pregnant Woman and Young Children

The U.S. Government’s Health and Human Services department has just released information on the Swine Flu (H1N1) vaccine as well as the influenza vaccine on www.flu.gov. If you have the time, watch their video on the site – it’s extremely informative. Here’s my take on what I learned today.

First, the conversation on the video lumped influenza in with the new strain of flu called Swine Flu (also known as H1N1). I found this confusing. As a pregnant woman, I want to know about the specific H1N1 vaccine – what is the safety of this new vaccine, have there been clinical trials, is it available, what are the risks, what are the side effects?

What I learned was a bit shocking. They’ve tested the other risk groups, but the clinical trials for pregnant woman will start in September when they will test for correct dosage and side effects of the new vaccine. If they don’t know now what these two variables are, how can they safely recommend injecting a vaccine into a body with a developing fetus?

The Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Center for Disease Control back up their argument for recommending the vaccine by citing the safety and long time use of the influenza vaccine. It has a very good track record for safety and they know exactly how much vaccine to administer. Hence, they “know” the same about the Swine Flu vaccine. I don’t really buy that argument. I’d rather wait to see what the evidence suggests because the H1N1/Swine Flu vaccine is brand new.

Second, it’s not available yet. October is the target release date. Well, OK, that gives me time to research more, so that’s good to know. However, they don’t know if they recommend one double dose or one dose + a booster three weeks later. This seems like very important information to me and it makes me nervous that it is still a question. I’d like to know how much of the substance they plan on putting in my body and, more importantly, that they know which is the best course of action. Again, they’ll know this in October.

Third, what is the official stance on preventative care? It’s so simple and yet I do know it’s effective: wash your hands. Wash your baby’s hands. A lot. OK, check. What else? Not much. For pregnant woman they suggest lots of rest, a healthy diet and in general taking care of yourself. Have these people ever had babies? Rest? Aside from being exhausted from running after a toddler, pregnancy causes insomnia in me so when I should and could and would like to be sleeping, I’m not sleeping. I’m rolling over, tucking pillows in all sorts of places and sighing wistfully, wishing I was asleep.

In case you contract the Swine Flu or even the regular flu, there are steps to take to minimize exposure to others like staying home, wearing a mask when you go out and wash wash wash your hands. The video goes over in much more detail what to do in this scenario and that information is quite helpful.

However there is little information on the virus itself, like how long does it survive on surfaces and, if you suspect that you’ve come in to contact with an infected person, what should you do (besides washing your hands, of course)? I’m talking about do you change clothes, wash your clothes immediately, use anything other than detergent and hot water – what?

Lastly, there is a separate page detailing what pregnant women should know about H1N1 or the Swine Flu. I’d highly recommend reading it HERE.

I don’t want to give the wrong impression – I’m for vaccinations as an abstract thought. I believe our society has benefited greatly heath-wise from vaccinations. I got the flu vaccination during my first pregnancy and will more than likely get vaccinated for influenza again. I’m just not so sure about H1N1 and the regular flu vaccine doesn’t cover Swine Flu.

Of course, on the flip side of the vaccination debate there is the risk of actually contracting the Swine Flu. Sure, I can assume I won’t get sick, but how do I know? And, if I do get sick, how bad will that be for me, my developing baby, my toddler, my husband, my mother-in-law, my friends. I mean, come on! I don’t want to even think about that.

So, while more information is great, I feel very strongly that this decision is best discussed with my OBGYN in the coming months. She knows me, my baby and my toddler. She knows the science behind the vaccine. She can help me understand what will be best for my family. I can only urge that you, as a parent, learn as much as you can and then discuss both vaccines with your doctor and your child’s doctor. The www.flu.gov site is a good place to start.