We've been asked a lot lately about the H1N1 vaccine, and whether we think the vaccine is safe.
With the CDC reporting that pregnant women are especially vulnerable to complications from H1N1 infection, and the Minnesota Department of Health reporting that the virus is spreading rapidly throughout the Twin Cities metro area, it's certainly appropriate to carefully consider vaccination.
For pregnant women, getting both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available is especially important. Flu shots given in pregnancy have been proven to reduce both illness in the pregnant woman as well as her newborn after birth. Because the seasonal flu is caused by a different virus than the H1N1 virus, it is recommend that pregnant women get both vaccines to ensure maximum safety. And when expectant mothers do get vaccinated, they will be given the injection rather than the nasal mist.
If a woman did not get a flu vaccine during pregnancy, it is still safe for her to get vaccinated after birth, either with the injection or the nasal mist. If mothers are breastfeeding, the vaccine is safe and even more encouraged since the mother will pass antibodies to the flu to her nursing baby. According to the CDC, "by breastfeeding, mothers can pass on to the infant the antibodies that their bodies make in response to the flu shots, which can reduce the infant’s chances of getting sick with the flu. This is especially important for infants less than 6 months old, who have no other way of receiving vaccine antibodies, since they are too young to be vaccinated."
A thorough discussion about flu vaccination in pregnancy can be found
here.
Newborns under the age of 6 months are not eligible for flu vaccination, either with the seasonal or the H1N1 vaccines. It is especially important for parents to get vaccinated to ensure the household stays healthy. Parents should consider avoiding crowds and standing at least 6 feet away from someone who appears ill. Careful hand washing and disinfecting surfaces such as shopping cart handles is an important barrier between you and illness while out and about.
If parents of newborns have older children in school, it becomes especially important to pay attention to hand washing and good hygiene in the home. Schoolchildren are especially vulnerable to outbreaks because of the concentration of people in the school buildings; the close proximity can spread illness rapidly. If your older child shows signs of illness, maintain distance between the older child and the baby, and pay close attention to hand washing, covering coughs, and discarding tissues after each use.
When your babies are 6 months old, they are eligible for seasonal and H1N1 vaccination. Both the CDC and the AAP encourage parents to get their babies and children vaccinated. Amma Maternity's trusted pediatrician,
Dr. Stefan Kramarczuk of Park Nicollet Health Services, tells us that "because the new H1N1 vaccine is made using the same method as the seasonal flu vaccine, the safety profile should be the same". Study after study has supported the safety and efficacy of vaccinating children against serious disease, and the flu is no exception. According to most experts, because babies sick with the flu are at significant risk for potential life-threatening complications, the risk of illness outweighs any potential perceived risk of vaccination.
If you are a breastfeeding mother and experience flu symptoms, you may have many questions about how to best care for your baby and give your baby breastmilk while keeping enough distance to prevent the spread of illness. The CDC encourages sick mothers to continue giving their babies breastmilk throughout illness. Babies will benefit from the antibodies the mother produces. Information for ill mothers who are breastfeeding can be found
here.
Careful discussions with our advisors and reading trusted sources like the CDC and the AAP have convinced us that flu vaccines are especially important this year.
