I am in the population that is #2 (with healthcare workers #1) on the list the CDC recommends gets the H1N1 vaccine: I am pregnant. In fact, I’m in my second trimester, and 2nd and 3rd trimester preggos are at greater risk than 1st trimester. Now, add to that I am a teacher and interact with 100 or so kiddos each day, and I would seem a prime candidate. FTR, one of the schools in our district had a 6th grader who reportedly died from the H1N1 virus; while the CDC has not listed him as a confirmed death (he’s listed as “possible”), the media was of course all over it.
What has surprised me, however, is a pregnancy message board I frequent had a recent poll about the swine flu and this vaccine, and by far more ladies were saying they would NOT get the vaccine than would. The most common reason given was the vaccine is untested, and hasn’t been proven safe enough for their comfort. A few quote the 1976 swine flu vaccine that resulted in 500 who did get vaccinated coming down with a rare neurodegenerative condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome. There is concern that, being preggos, we’ve all been told to be extremely careful what we put in our body. An untested vaccine is worrisome to them.
Others have said that they don’t get flu shots, as they always get sick after receiving the flu shot and/or don’t think it works.
So, whereas I was once eager to get the vaccine ASAP, now I am confused. I am, admittedly, concerned about being injected with a vaccine that was rushed into production, but I also don’t want to suffer the consequences of not being vaccinated.
I’d put this in GQ, but I’m not sure this is a black and white, factual question. I’m looking for input and clarification; my instinct is the women on the preggo board are being distracted by anecdotal and/or old data that is influenced by the fear some of them have of the government. Then again, the 1976 fiasco is a real event, so that is understandable.