Flu Shot During Pregnancy

If You Love Your Baby, You Will Get the Flu Vaccine. Right?

The link above goes to a great blog post about the flu vaccine and pregnancy, and the ways the media and medical professionals play on a mother's love for her baby to persuade her to get the vaccination.

Here's a short part of the post, a warning label from one of the manufacturers of the flu vaccine: 

“Pregnancy Category C: Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine or Fluzone vaccine. It is also not known whether these vaccines can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.”

The post also outlines other means by which you can prevent the flu.

I personally don't recommend the flu vaccine during pregnancy, and I think that expectant parents should seriously consider all the facts before making a decision.

For more information about the flu vaccine, please see the following: 

Influenza, the Vaccine, and Vitamin D

More About the 2010 Influenza Vaccine

More About the 2010 Influenza Vaccine

Since my last post about Influenza, the Vaccine and Vitamin D I've come across more pertinent information:

• Several nations banning flu shots for babies: Here's more about the 2010 flu shot triggering neurological disorders in children and teens, and some countries banning the shot from children as a result.
• CDC: Vaccine Selection for the 2010-2011 Influenza Season: This talks about the makeup of the current vaccine, which includes the H1N1 vaccine along with 2 strains of influenza.  The vaccine administered in the Northern Hemisphere is the same as the one given in the Southern Hemisphere.

Given this information, one would think the United States would reconsider promoting the influenza vaccine, but doctors all over the US are still telling their patients to get the shot, along with propaganda everywhere.  Even pregnant women are being encouraged to get the vaccine, when we don't really know what effect it could have on them or their unborn children.

Breast Milk Reduces Vaccine Effectiveness

"Vaccination proponents have suggested that breastfeeding should be delayed in order to prevent immune factors within breast milk from inactivating vaccine-associated antibody titer elevations and 'vaccine potency.'"

Posted on GreenMedInfo.com

If breast milk immunities decrease the effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccine, then why don't we stick to breastfeeding and skip the vaccine?  Logically the breast milk will also protect against rotavirus itself. Delay breastfeeding?  I think not.  That would put my baby at an even higher risk of getting sick than if I were to opt out of the vaccine.  I've never had any of my breastfed babies get sick with rotavirus.

I'm all for choice, and I support informed decisions whether parents decide to vaccinate their children or not.  I just feel it needs to be an informed choice, and not simply based on one professional's recommendation.  Do your research!