Pointing out the benefits of the flu jab

IT'S a time when women are supposed to treat their bodies like a temple.

For many, expecting a baby can really be the first time they think about their health - stopping smoking, cutting out alcohol and changing their diet to ensure that only the best organically grown, hand-picked nutrients are flowing through to their unborn child.

Medications are also off the agenda - unless its swallowing Gaviscon by the bucketload in a bid to deal with heartburn.

So the very idea of accepting a vaccination at this time, when the pros and cons of immunisations for their baby will soon become an all-consuming debate, seems all wrong.

Yet mums-to-be in the Lothians are being targeted by doctors to ensure they get the flu jab to protect them and their child from any potential complications caused by the flu.

The seasonal flu jab, which is usually given to the old, the very young and those with respiratory health problems, is now being offered to pregnant women who, because they will already be suffering from fatigue and a suppressed immune system, are more likely to succumb to the virus and be affected by complications.

Flu for pregnant women is not just a case of bad sniffles and an overall "achy" feeling, as Gillian Smith, director of the Royal College of Midwives in Edinburgh explains.

"I think there's a belief that catching the flu isn't that big a deal because people confuse it with having a bad cold," she says. "But being pregnant means you're at greater risk of experiencing complications from the flu because a woman's immune system is slightly suppressed to help them cope with pregnancy.

"At worst, you could experience premature labour, miscarriage or be hospitalised, so why put your and your baby's health at risk by not getting the flu jab? I would urge all pregnant women to consider vaccination to ensure the maximum protection for themselves and their babies."

Yet that message is not getting through.

Joanna Young, a 34-year-old TV researcher from Leith says: "I was offered the swine flu jab at the start of my pregnancy last March. I usually get the flu jab because I have asthma but I refused this time because of my pregnancy. I didn't want to be taking any risks for the baby.

"I haven't been offered any jabs this autumn though and wouldn't take anything till I've had the baby, just in case."

She adds: "It was the swine flu jab I was offered and as it was a relatively new vaccination I just didn't want to take any chances. I made a quick decision, probably irrationally and certainly without investigating it at all. I guess Thalidomide was in the back of my mind.

"As a first-time mum I preferred to err on the side of caution and avoid taking any chemicals that weren't 100 per cent necessary."

It is in later pregnancy though, as the baby takes up more space and a woman's lungs cannot expand as well as normal, when respiratory complications become more likely if you have the flu.

The risks of miscarriage and premature labour are also highest during this stage.

Doctors and midwives insist the flu jab not only helps pregnant women avoid catching the flu but protects the baby.

Studies have shown that the jab, which this year also protects against the swine flu virus, is not only safe but beneficial for pregnant women and their unborn child. In fact, immune responses to the flu vaccine in pregnant women and those who are not, are the same.

Scotland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Harry Burns, says: "Flu strikes suddenly and it's important to be prepared. If you are pregnant, you're already at risk of developing complications if you catch the flu, so the best way to protect yourself and your baby, is to get the jab.

"It only takes a minute to get the flu jab, but this will protect you and your baby for 12 months.

"It is absolutely safe for both mother and baby and a necessity if you also have an underlying health condition such as asthma or diabetes.

"Some women experience difficult pregnancies and others have a great pregnancy but the last thing you want is to risk your health and your pregnancy by catching the flu virus. Get the jab - it's the best way to protect you and your baby."

Seasonal flu is a highly infectious illness and the virus infects your lungs and upper airways, causing a sudden high temperature and general aches and pains.

It is spread in the small droplets of saliva coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person, or if someone with flu touches common surfaces such as door handles with unwashed hands.

Now is the time for flu outbreaks and usually between 50 and 200 people in every 100,000 go their GP with flu symptoms every year. Yet still around 600 people a year die from seasonal flu - a figure which can rise to around 13,000 during an epidemic.

The vaccine currently available gives 70 to 80 per cent protection against infection and takes around ten days to work.

Contrary to popular belief, it does not actually give people the flu as it doesn't contain live viruses. If there are symptoms such as a runny nose or achiness for a day or so after getting the jab, it means the immune system is responding and the jab is working.

Gillian Smith adds: "Mums-to-be should have a chat with their midwife to allay any fears. To make a healthy baby, we need healthy mums, so get protected to be safe from flu this winter."

www.immunisationscotland.org.uk

DISPELLING flu jab myths, according to the scottish government

It is not safe for pregnant women and their babies to have the jab.

Pregnant women are at greater risk of complications from the flu such as having a miscarriage or going into premature labour. The flu jab is safe and beneficial for women and their unborn child. In fact, immune responses to the seasonal flu vaccine in pregnant women and those who are not, are the same. It's even safe to get the flu jab whilst breastfeeding. Pregnant women with medical conditions have been eligible for the vaccine for a number of years and many pregnant women were vaccinated against swine flu last year. Studies have shown there is no evidence of risk from vaccinating pregnant women, or those who are breast-feeding, with inactivated viral or bacterial vaccines.

The flu vaccine contains mercury which can harm the baby.

Some of the flu vaccines may contain traces of thiomersal. However, there is no evidence that this is a risk to either pregnant women or their baby. In 2003, the Committee on Safety of Medicines concluded that the balance of benefits and risks of thiomersal-containing vaccines remains overwhelmingly positive. In 2004, the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products also concluded that studies show no association between vaccination with thiomersal-containing vaccines and specific neurodevelopmental disorders. A more recent study has also shown no association between neuropsychological functioning at the age of seven to ten years and exposure to mercury during the prenatal period, the neonatal period and the first seven months of life.

The flu jab gives you the flu.

The flu vaccination will not give people the flu. It is not full of live flu bugs but instead contains dead flu virus that cannot replicate. This means their body can still recognise the virus and that helps them fight it off.