H1N1 and pregnancy: your questions answered

On October 3rd, we wrote about the Swine Flu (H1N1) and the questions you may have. We've gotten more questions about flu vaccinations during pregnancy, especially after the front page article in the Star Tribune about fatalities during pregnancy.

It's hard to imagine a more heartbreaking scenario than a healthy pregnant woman dying of complications from the flu. Most healthy adults who get the flu are able to avoid serious complications, but Amma Maternity's consulting obstetrician, Dr. Andrea Messina of Park Nicollet Health Services, says "while the H1N1 virus in general causes mild flu symptoms, there are certain populations who have had very serious symptoms, medical complications and deaths. Pregnant women and young children are in this category. About 30% of the deaths related to the H1N1 virus have been in otherwise healthy young people."

Despite these risks, the Associated Press reports that only one in seven pregnant women gets vaccinated. For some women the shot is not readily available at their OB clinic, but for many others the fear of adverse effects from the vaccine overrides the fear of actually getting the flu. Women who may be leery of vaccine safety in general may become especially reluctant to get vaccinated in pregnancy, according to another recent Star Tribune article.

Dr. Messina offers reassurance to those who may have concerns. "Pregnant women have understandably been concerned about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. It has been manufactured with the exact same techniques as the general flu shot, which has many years of proven product safety. Each year the seasonal flu vaccine is adjusted to the strains of flu that we may be exposed to. In the case of H1N1 we know the exact strain and the vaccine has been manufactured specifically to this strain. The effectiveness against preventing the H1N1 flu is greater than 95%."

The decisions a woman makes during pregnancy are "warm-up" decisions for parenthood. Mothers must make decisions with a combination of their hearts and their minds. Choose to read reliable sources and be sure to seek the advice of your care givers when making this important decision.