tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Reuters Health) - The swine flu shot appears to be safe for pregnant women, according to a new government report that tallies health problems occurring after the vaccinations.
During the 2009-2010 flu season, millions of pregnant women received the vaccine against swine flu, or H1N1 influenza, yet but less than 300 possible complications were reported to a national database.
Researchers estimated that out of one million pregnant women who received the vaccine, 118 experienced a potential side effect from the shot.
These findings support the official recommendation that pregnant women receive the seasonal flu vaccine, which will contain the H1N1 vaccine in the upcoming flu season, said study author Dr. Pedro Moro of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Based on all the information we have available, we definitely think pregnant women should receive the flu shot in the 2011-12 season," Moro told Reuters Health. "The flu shot will protect pregnant women, their unborn babies, and protect the baby after birth."
Compared with women of the same age who aren't pregnant, expecting mothers are more likely to become seriously ill from a flu infection and need hospitalization.
According to the CDC, pregnant women accounted for one in 20 deaths from H1N1 influenza in 2009. By comparison, only one in 100 was pregnant in the population.
The latest findings stem from data submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a vaccine-safety surveillance system run by the federal government. It allows anyone -- including doctors, vaccine makers and patients -- to report health problems that arise after a vaccination.
The system helps health officials spot new, unusual side effects, although with the caveat that the reported problems are not necessarily caused by vaccination.
...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/30/us-swine-flu-pregnancy-idUSTRE75T5FD20110630
During the 2009-2010 flu season, millions of pregnant women received the vaccine against swine flu, or H1N1 influenza, yet but less than 300 possible complications were reported to a national database.
Researchers estimated that out of one million pregnant women who received the vaccine, 118 experienced a potential side effect from the shot.
These findings support the official recommendation that pregnant women receive the seasonal flu vaccine, which will contain the H1N1 vaccine in the upcoming flu season, said study author Dr. Pedro Moro of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Based on all the information we have available, we definitely think pregnant women should receive the flu shot in the 2011-12 season," Moro told Reuters Health. "The flu shot will protect pregnant women, their unborn babies, and protect the baby after birth."
Compared with women of the same age who aren't pregnant, expecting mothers are more likely to become seriously ill from a flu infection and need hospitalization.
According to the CDC, pregnant women accounted for one in 20 deaths from H1N1 influenza in 2009. By comparison, only one in 100 was pregnant in the population.
The latest findings stem from data submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a vaccine-safety surveillance system run by the federal government. It allows anyone -- including doctors, vaccine makers and patients -- to report health problems that arise after a vaccination.
The system helps health officials spot new, unusual side effects, although with the caveat that the reported problems are not necessarily caused by vaccination.
...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/30/us-swine-flu-pregnancy-idUSTRE75T5FD20110630