Hi
I’m 14 weeks pregnant and am due to have my swine flu vacs in a couple weeks, I’m a bit worried and not sure to have it or not and need a little more info which no one really seems to have, Looking to see what the known side effects are and is there any risk to my unborn child?
I would never get a vaccine during pregnancy. But if you are going to get a flu shot, please be 100% sure that it is mercury free. Ask the person giving it if it is from a multi-dose or a single dose vial. If it is from a multi-dose vial, it contains a lot of mercury (25 mcg). If it is from a single dose vial or a pre-filled syringe, it contains no mercury. Except the pre-filled syringe from Novartis, which contains 1 mcg of mercury. You need to memorize these facts. Because if you just ask if it has mercury or not, half the time they will say no, when there really is.
Anyone who says it is okay to inject a pregnant woman with mercury is either terribly misinformed, or is lying.
By the way, if you read the package inserts, which I’ll link to below, you’ll see that the manufacturers do not know if the shots are safe for pregnant women and their babies.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182242.pdf (page 12)
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182404.pdf (page 10)
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182401.pdf (page 
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi.
Anyone who takes the H1N1 vaccine and is in the side effect category could develop GBC – Guillian Bar Syndrome. Dr. Jennifer Ashton estimates that this risk is only 1 in a million vaccines.
According to Dr. Jennifer Ashton, GBS is a “rare, neurologic disorder that has elements of an auto-immune condition in that some trigger (usually an infection or rarely a vaccination against an infection) results in a progressive weakening of nerves. GBS starts in the legs and works its way up the body.”
Generally 80% of GBS patients have a full recovery about a month after their illness. However, it can turn fatal too, for some people.
And there are other lesser risks associated with this vaccine as well, besides GBS.
Here are some faqs that may be helpful for you.
1. What are the possible side effects of the 2009 H1N1 flu shots?
The side effects from 2009 H1N1 flu shots are expected to be like those from seasonal flu shots. The most common side effects after flu shots are mild, such as being sore and tender, red and swollen where the shot was given. Some people might have headache, muscle aches, fever, and nausea or feel tired. If these problems happen, they usually begin soon after the shot and may last as long as 1-2 days. Some people may faint after getting any shot. Sometimes, flu shots can cause serious problems like severe allergic reactions. But, life-threatening allergic reactions to vaccines are very rare. A person who has a severe (life-threatening) allergy to eggs or to anything else in the vaccine should not get the shot, even if she is pregnant. Pregnant women should tell the person giving the shots if they have any severe allergies or if they have ever had a severe allergic reaction following a flu shot.
2. Is the 2009 H1N1 flu shot expected to be associated with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)?
In 1976, an earlier type of swine flu vaccine was associated with cases of a severe paralytic illness called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) at a rate of approximately 1 case of GBS per 100,000 persons vaccinated. Some studies done since 1976 have shown a small risk of GBS in persons who received the seasonal influenza vaccine. This risk is estimated to be no more than 1 case of GBS per 1 million persons vaccinated. Pregnant women should tell the person giving the shots if they have ever had GBS.
3. Can family members of a pregnant woman receive the nasal spray vaccine?
Pregnant women should not receive nasal spray for the seasonal or 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine, but it is okay for a pregnant woman to be around a family or other close contact who has received nasal spray flu vaccine. The nasal spray vaccine can be used in healthy people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant and in women after they deliver, even if they are nursing.
4. Can a pregnant health care provider give the live nasal spray flu vaccine?
Yes. No special precautions are needed. Nurses and doctors should wash their hands or use an alcohol-based hand rub before and after giving the vaccine.
5. If a pregnant woman delivers her baby before receiving her seasonal flu shot or her 2009 H1N1 flu shot, should she still receive them?
Yes. Besides protecting her from infection, the shot may also help protect her young infant. Flu shots are only given to infants 6 months of age and older. Everyone who lives with or gives care to an infant less than 6 months of age should get both the seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 vaccines. A woman can get either the shots or the nasal spray after she delivers.
6. Can a breastfeeding mother receive flu shots?
Yes. Both seasonal and 2009 H1N1 flu shots or nasal spray should be given to breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding is fully compatible with flu vaccination, and preventing the flu in mothers can reduce the chance that the infant will get the flu. Also, by breastfeeding, mothers can pass on to the infant the antibodies that their bodies make in response to the flu shots, which can reduce the infant’s chances of getting sick with the flu. This is especially important for infants less than 6 months old, who have no other way of receiving vaccine antibodies, since they are too young to be vaccinated.
Take Care. Regards.
References :
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health1/h1n1-swine-flu-vaccine-has-many-side-effects-risks_100257000.html
http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/vaccination/pregnant_qa.htm
I would never get a vaccine during pregnancy. But if you are going to get a flu shot, please be 100% sure that it is mercury free. Ask the person giving it if it is from a multi-dose or a single dose vial. If it is from a multi-dose vial, it contains a lot of mercury (25 mcg). If it is from a single dose vial or a pre-filled syringe, it contains no mercury. Except the pre-filled syringe from Novartis, which contains 1 mcg of mercury. You need to memorize these facts. Because if you just ask if it has mercury or not, half the time they will say no, when there really is.
Anyone who says it is okay to inject a pregnant woman with mercury is either terribly misinformed, or is lying.
By the way, if you read the package inserts, which I’ll link to below, you’ll see that the manufacturers do not know if the shots are safe for pregnant women and their babies.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182242.pdf (page 12)
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182404.pdf (page 10)
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM182401.pdf (page
References :
I’m going to tell you what my doctor told me yesterday while giving my 2 year old the regular flu shot. He doesn’t recommend getting the swine flu vaccine for one big reason. The government ask the company to put it together so fast that the company made the government sign a waver saying that they are not responsible should something go wrong with it. Now do you really want to use a product that the company that made it doesn’t even stand behind? Your putting yourself and your baby at risk.
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If you do want to take the swine flu please give it to me because I am more than willing
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