Flu Shot During First Trimester

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

• Why should I get a flu shot?
• Is it safe to get a flu shot while Im pregnant?
• Is it safe to get a flu shot while Im breastfeeding?
• Can getting a flu shot cause a miscarriage?
• Will I have any side effects from getting a flu shot?
• Where should I get a flu shot?
• What should I do if I get the flu while I am pregnant?
• Do I need to get a flu shot this year if I got one last year while I was pregnant but am now breastfeeding?

Flu Vaccine Protects Newborns

A second study, conducted at the University of Utah, confirmed that pregnant women who get the seasonal flu vaccine pass their immunity to their babies and that the protection lasts for two months after birth.

The researchers studied 27 women, 11 of whom received the seasonal influenza vaccine. All babies born to immunized women had flu antibodies in their blood at birth, compared to 31% of babies born to women who had not received the vaccine.

At two months, 60% of babies born to immunized women had antibody protection vs. none of the babies born to women who weren’t vaccinated.

But wouldn’t it have been better to compare the rates of flu and flu complications among the two groups than antibody rates?

Yes, says study researcher Julie H. Shakib, DO, MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. “But we need a much larger study to do that.”

On the other hand, antibody rates are a reasonable substitute for flu rates, Shakib and Neuzil agree. Other research has shown an association between the two, they explain.

Other Things To Consider

If you are pregnant and planning to get a flu shot, here is what you can expect:

• Common side effects of the flu vaccine during pregnancy are the same as if you werent pregnant. These include arm soreness from the injection, headache, fever, muscle aches and nausea.

• The flu vaccine can be given during any trimester of the pregnancy, but preferably early on in the flu season.

• Pregnant women should not receive the inhaled flu vaccine. Although studies have shown no pregnancy complications even when mother received the inhaled formulation, its still considered safer to receive the vaccine through injection.

• Anyone who has a severe, life-threatening allergy to any component of the vaccine formulation should not receive the vaccine.

• If you have a severe allergy to eggs, talk to your doctor about whether you should receive the flu vaccine. While many people with egg allergies can safely receive the flu vaccine, extra precautions often are needed.

• Breastfeeding mothers also are encouraged to get the flu vaccine, especially since their newborn will not be able to get the flu vaccine until six months of age. By receiving the flu vaccine while nursing, mothers have the opportunity to provide added protection for their infant in the first months of life when their baby is most vulnerable.

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Do: Eat Healthy Foods

A healthy diet can provide you and your growing baby with a sound nutritional basis that your pregnancy vitamins can build on. Studies suggest that being exposed to many flavors via a mother’s amniotic fluid can set a baby up to be a good eater into early childhood, too.

Some smart, healthy food choices include:

• Vegetables: Choices that are high in vitamin A and potassium include dark, leafy greens, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots.
• Proteins: Great sources of protein include lean beef, pork, lamb, tofu, low-mercury fish like trout and salmon, beans, peas, seeds, and nuts.
• Fruits: With the benefits of hydration, good fiber, and vitamin C, oranges, melons, mangoes, apricots, bananas, and apples are excellent choices. They can also help satisfy a sweet tooth without adding unhealthy sugars or fats.
• Dairy: Eating small portions of cheese, drinking reduced-fat milk, and yogurt products provide calcium, potassium, and vitamins.
• Whole Grains: High in both iron and folic acid, as well as healthy fiber, whole grains are an important part of your pregnancy diet.

The Shot Wont Make You Sick

Though there may be side effects such as aches, low-grade fever, mild flu-like symptoms and soreness where you received your shot. However, the vaccine will not make you sick with influenza.

If someone does feel sick to their stomach, they likely acquired some type of virus at the same time and it probably wasnt related. Sometimes people confuse stomach flu with respiratory influenza, but theyre totally different.

The flu vaccine does take about two weeks before it offers full protection so it is possible to catch influenza during this time period.

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What If I Get The Flu

Having the flu vaccine doesnt guarantee you wont catch the flu. However, if you do get it, there is some medicine you can take that may reduce your risk of complications. See your GP if you think youre getting ill.

Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:

• a sudden fever a temperature of 38C or above
• an aching body

Getting A Flu Shot Is Still Best For Mom And Baby

The CDC, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to recommend the flu shot for pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy, not only for the benefit of the mom but also because it provides the baby with antibodies that can help protect the baby after birth.

Infants cannot get their own flu vaccine until 6 months of age, so the antibodies you pass to your child are vital. As of September 2, 2017, more than 100 pediatric flu deaths already have been reported for the 2016/2017 flu season. The peak flu season traditionally is September through March, but theres no way to predict with certainty how early the flu season will start or how long it will last. Early indications from countries in the southern hemisphere where flu season has already started suggest this year will see a lot of influenza activity.

Some women worry that the flu shot will make them sick. This is untrue. Flu shots are made from dead viruses that cannot give you the flu but you may notice some minor side effects such as soreness at the injection site, low-grade fever, or muscle aches, which are annoying but not worrisome.

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What Are The Benefits Of A Flu Shot During Pregnancy

The foremost benefit of getting the flu shot is that it protects you and your baby. The flu shot can help prevent you from getting the flu and lower your risk of developing issues, such as pneumonia, that may affect both you and your unborn child. In fact, the CDC reports it may reduce your risk of developing an acute respiratory infection by up to percent.

Other benefits:

• Lowers risk of hospitalization. The CDC also reports that the flu shot may lower your risk of hospitalization with flu-related complications by as much as

When Do I Get The Flu Vaccine If Im Pregnant

The flu vaccine is funded under the National Immunisation Program for pregnantwomen and is therefore free. You can have the vaccine any time during pregnancy.Its important to note if you were vaccinated against the flu at the end of the 2017 season in early pregnancy and havent given birth, you can also have thisyears vaccine. This will protect you and your baby from the flu strains currently circulating.

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Things To Do During The First Trimester

There are some must-do things during the first trimester of pregnancy. Getting prenatal care from a doctor or midwife is important. Making sure that your body is getting all of the vitamins and nutrients that it needs is critical, too.

Keeping yourself healthy, well-rested, and mentally well are all important things to do during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Heres Why We Recommend That Pregnant Women Get A Flu Shot

Put this risk of severe complications from the flu together with the relative low risk of the flu vaccine, and its easy to understand why getting the flu shot during pregnancy is so strongly recommended.

Getting vaccinated against the flu during pregnancy has benefits for your baby as well. Newborns, like pregnant women, are more likely to get seriously ill or even die if they get the flu. Your baby cant get a flu shot until 6 months of age. However, if you get the flu vaccine during pregnancy you will pass antibodies to your baby that will protect him or her from the flu in the first few months of life. This is especially important for babies that will be born during flu season .

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Is The Flu Shot Safe For Pregnant Women

When we talk about the safety of medications for pregnant women, were actually considering two separate things: safety for the mom and safety for the baby. Many times, medications that women take routinely before or after pregnancy arent recommended during pregnancy because we just dont have enough scientific data to show that the medication is safe for the baby.

The flu vaccine is different. It has been given to millions of pregnant women over the years. As documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , there is a significant amount of scientific evidence to show that the flu vaccine is safe for both mother and baby.

There is a significant amount of scientific evidence to show that the flu vaccine is safe for both mother and baby.

Medications To Avoid During Pregnancy

Some of the medications that could help with flu symptoms when youre not pregnant are off the table for moms-to-be because they may cause harm to the unborn baby. These include:

• Some pain relievers. Aspirin, ibuprofen , or naproxen aren’t safe during pregnancy because they can be harmful to Mom and baby.
• Most decongestants. Decongestants like Claritin-D, Sudafed or DayQuil should be avoided when youre expecting . Even those experts who say its okay to take certain decongestants will caution that its only safe to use after the first trimester and only as long as its used in a limited amount.
• Some nasal sprays. Steer clear of nonsteroidal nasal decongestant sprays containing oxymetazoline unless given the green light by your practitioner. Many will tell you to avoid these sprays completely while you’re expecting, while others will advise only limited use after the first trimester.
• Homeopathic remedies. Never take Echinacea or other supplements without medical approval.

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Can The Flu Shot Cause Miscarriage

You may have heard some rumors lately about the flu shot possibly causing miscarriage. Heres why: a small-scale study was published in the journal Vaccine in Sept. 2017. The study sought to find a link between miscarriage and the flu shot by studying a small group of women who had received the flu shot over two consecutive years. But it turns out the findings indicate the study was not able to establish a causal relationship between repeated influenza vaccination and .

Further, Alex Polotsky, MD, head of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Colorado Denver, indicates, this study is nothing but statistical noise. Its a classic case of if you look hard enough, you can find anything, especially when you slice and dice data in enough different ways. In addition, the study is flawed because they lump women between the ages of 30 to 40 together, but the two ends of this age group have very different rates of miscarriage simply by nature of their ages.

When To Get The Flu Vaccine

The flu vaccine is available from October to the end of April each year.

You can get the vaccine at any point in your pregnancy. But try to get it as early in your pregnancy as you can.

You can get it at the same time as your whooping cough vaccine and your COVID-19 vaccine. If you have had the COVID-19 vaccine, you should still get the flu vaccine.

If you were pregnant during last year’s flu season and got the flu vaccine, you’ll still need to get this season’s flu vaccine.

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Reduces Your Risk Of Getting The Flu

A flu vaccine is the most effective way to avoid getting the flu and during pregnancy, avoiding getting sick is more important than ever. You may already be dealing with aches and pains, nausea, headaches, and extreme fatigue. The last thing you want to add to that is a viral infection!

But it’s not just your comfort at risk if you get the flu while pregnant. Pregnant people are among the highest risk groups for developing serious complications, including death, from the flu, so reducing your chance of infection may even save your life.

What To Do If Youre On The Fence About Getting Vaccinated

Getting the flu shot during any trimester of pregnancy is reasonable and safe, and being vaccinated against the flu in the first trimester will not put your baby at risk. But if youre nervous about getting the flu shot during the first trimester, dont refuse to be vaccinated. Just hold off until after you reach 20 weeks of pregnancy. The Vaccine study reported there was no increased risk after 20 weeks of pregnancy. You might not be as fully protected from the flu, which can lead to serious complications including hospitalization and even death in pregnant women, but your baby will still get the antibody benefit.

The key takeaway for women is that scientific research studies have never proven a cause/effect relationship between the flu vaccine and miscarriage. In fact, showed no link between miscarriage rates and maternal flu vaccination using clinical data, and an found no increased risk between maternal flu vaccination and birth defects in babies. Even the study published in Vaccine states that the data retrieved demonstrate an association, not a cause/effect relationship, between flu shots and miscarriage.

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The Flu Shot Is Safe For Pregnant Women

Flu shots are a safe way to protect pregnant women and their unborn children from serious illness and complications of flu, like pneumonia. The flu shot has been given to millions of pregnant women over many years. Flu shots have not been shown to cause harm to pregnant women or their babies. It is very important for pregnant women to get the flu shot.

Protect Yourself And Your Baby

Flu virus strains evolve from year to year so having had the flu previously or receiving a vaccine in years past will not protect against influenza in the future. The best way to prevent the flu is to receive the vaccine every year. It is recommended that women get vaccinated at any point in their pregnancy as there are no increased benefits or concerns if the vaccine is received either early or late in the pregnancy. However, pregnant women should only be vaccinated via the flu shot and not the nasal spray.

The flu shot can provide protection against influenza for both mother and child. When women get vaccinated against influenza while pregnant the baby receives those antibodies from the mother and both are protected against the virus for several months after birth.

If a woman did not receive a flu shot while pregnant, it is still safe to get one while . Infants under six months of age cannot be vaccinated against influenza so it is essential to prevent the mother from contracting the flu so she will not pass the illness on to her child. For this same reason, any other family members living with a newborn should also get vaccination against the flu.

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Can Pregnant People With Egg Allergies Get Vaccinated

Most people who have an allergy to eggs can get vaccinated, with some additional safety measures. A person with severe allergy to any vaccine component, including egg protein, should not get the shot, even if they are pregnant. Pregnant people 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.

People with egg allergies can receive any licensed, recommended age-appropriate influenza vaccine that is otherwise appropriate. People who have a history of severe egg allergy should be vaccinated in a medical setting, supervised by a health care provider who is able to recognize and manage severe allergic reactions. Two completely egg-free flu vaccine options are available: quadrivalent recombinant vaccine and quadrivalent cell-based vaccine.

The Flu Shot And Pregnancy: Answers To Your Questions

While much of the worlds attention is currently focused on the new coronavirus , cold and flu season is also fast approaching. Fortunately, theres a vaccine that can help prevent the flu and its potential complications.

Pregnant? You may be wondering whether the flu shot is safe for you and your baby. Heres what the experts say about the flu shot and its safety, notes on which shot to get and where to get it, as well as the potential benefits and risks of vaccination.

of women. They also mention various clinical trials, observational studies, and other data that support a consistent safety record.

The CDC further explains that pregnant women are more likely to be hospitalized with flu than women of reproductive age who are not pregnant.

Why is this exactly? Well, pregnancy may weaken your immune system. This can make you more susceptible to illnesses like the flu. Add to that the extra work your body is already doing, particularly your heart and lungs, and you can see how serious complications might occur and why protection is important.

• soreness or swelling at the injection site
• lightheadedness

egg allergy, tell your doctor about it. Some formulations of the shot include egg protein and can cause a severe allergic reaction in such cases.

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