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Flu vaccine during pregnancy

The flu vaccine during pregnancy can be taken at any time. There is a risk of becoming seriously ill with the flu while pregnant. Getting the flu vaccine during pregnancy helps protect you from these diseases. Since the antibodies that the flu vaccine will create in your body will pass to your baby through your blood, the baby’s immune system will be strengthened and it protects your baby against germs in that unprotected period after birth. As we enter flu seasons (fall-winter), it is best to get a flu shot by the end of October each year.

Why should you get the flu shot during pregnancy?

You wash your hands a lot of times a day, don’t you? Why? To protect against diseases, of course. The most effective protection you can get against the flu during pregnancy is to get vaccinated.

Pregnant women are more likely to develop flu complications, such as pneumonia, which can be dangerous for both mother and baby. But pregnant women who get the flu vaccine are 40 percent less likely to be hospitalized with the flu.

Note: The nasal spray flu vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women because it contains a small amount of attenuated live virus .

Does the flu vaccine protect the baby from the flu?

When you get the flu vaccine, your body starts producing antibodies, which are passed on to your baby. These antibodies help protect your baby from the flu for several months after birth. This protection can be vital, because babies younger than 6 months are particularly vulnerable to complications and are too young to be vaccinated against such diseases.

Studies have found that babies born to women who have received the flu vaccine have a 63 percent lower risk of developing the disease before the age of 6 months compared to babies born to women who have not received the flu vaccine.

Getting a flu shot during pregnancy

Is there a risk of getting the flu from the flu vaccine?

The live virus, which is the only thing that can cause the flu, is not found in flu vaccines. That’s why you don’t get the flu because of the flu vaccine.

Flu vaccines contain killed flu virus fragments that stimulate your body to produce antibodies that protect you from live virus. The influenza virus in the flu vaccine is inactive, meaning it can’t infect you.

The nasal spray flu vaccine FluMist contains live viruses, but they are weakened and cannot survive the high temperature in your lungs. However, as a precaution, it is recommended that you get injections instead of sprays during pregnancy.

Is the flu vaccine really effective against the flu?

The effectiveness of the flu vaccine can vary from year to year. This is because the vaccine (which is reformulated every year) must match the strains of influenza virus that are most prevalent that season. So, it’s a bit of a guesswork.

When the vaccine matches well with circulating viruses, the risk of influenza illness in the general population is reduced by 40 to 60 percent.

If you get the flu even though you’ve been vaccinated, you’ll probably have a much milder infection. For pregnant women, the flu vaccine reduces the risk of being hospitalized with the flu by 40 percent and the risk of getting a lung infection from the flu by about half.

When to get the flu vaccine during pregnancy

When to get the flu vaccine during pregnancy?

You should get a flu shot every year, even if you have had a flu shot in previous years. Because different types of influenza occur every year.

No matter what week you’re in, get the flu shot, preferably by the end of October. That way, you’ll be protected before flu season starts. (It takes about two weeks for your body to produce antibodies.) But if you miss out on getting vaccinated in the fall, you can get vaccinated later, as flu season can last until May.

What are the side effects of the flu vaccine?

The side effects of the flu vaccine are usually mild. The following symptoms can be seen in common:

  • Pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Fire
  • Nausea
  • Faint

These side effects usually begin immediately after vaccination and can last for a day or two.

As with any vaccine, severe allergic reactions are very rare but still possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction to the flu vaccine include:

  • Respiratory Problems
  • Hoarseness or wheezing
  • hives
  • pallor
  • weakness
  • Rapid pulse
  • Dizziness

Severe reactions usually develop within a few minutes to a few hours after getting vaccinated. If you start showing any signs of a serious reaction, call 112.

Keep in mind that the side effects of the flu vaccine are rare, and the complications that come with getting the flu during pregnancy can be much more serious.

Who should not get the flu vaccine

If you have had a severe allergic reaction to a flu vaccine in the past, do not get the flu shot.

If you’re allergic to eggs, talk to your healthcare provider. (Chicken eggs are used as a culture to grow the flu virus, which is used in most vaccines.) If you only get hives (rather than a severe reaction) after exposure, you can probably still get the flu shot. If you have a severe allergic reaction to eggs, you have two options:

  • You can get the vaccine under medical supervision (i.e. at your doctor’s office).
  • You can ask for one of the flu vaccines that don’t contain eggs. Two of these “cell-based” vaccines are currently available.

Before getting the flu shot, be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have any other severe allergies or if you have a Guillain-Barré syndrome immune disorder.

Summarize; Getting the flu vaccine during pregnancy protects you and your baby from serious flu illnesses such as pneumonia. Flu vaccine can be given at any time of pregnancy.

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