Comments on: Pregnant women and the H1N1 vaccine

By: Dave Duffy

Dave Duffy — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:51:49 +0000

A lot of people feel like you. Here’s a Fox News poll that indicates many think as you do. And in a CNN poll, 53% don’t plan to get the vaccine. And many of the comments on this blog post say the same thing. To me, however, you are all betting on the wrong horse. Regarding pregnant women, especially, it is the swine flu that is far more dangrous than the vaccine. The following comment by a doctor on the above blog echoes my view: It is curious (and disappointing) how many people contributing comments to this web site are convinced that since the novel H1N1 vaccine has not been PROVED to be PERFECTLY safe (an impossible task, of course), it is automatically assumed to be more dangerous that an infection which we know has a high chance of causing significant morbidity and even significant mortality. This risk is known to be much higher in certain risk groups. Many pregnant women appear to be willing to risk treating their unborn babies with antiviral agents when they become infected, in spite of the fact that these drugs are known to be an unwise option compared to any imagined risks of the vaccine. Mothers fear the risks of their children developing autism from a vaccine which has NEVER (EVER!) been shown to cause this problem in children. The vaccines being tested are essentially IDENTICAL to vaccines which have been proven to be both VERY safe and VERY efficacious over MANY years. These vaccines are being offered to treat an infection which we expect to be wide-spread and proven to be a serious risk in some patients. The risks don’t come getting the vaccine. The real risks come from getting the infection if you do not get the vaccine. John W. Aldis, M.D. AAFP, MPH & Tropical Medicine

By: EarthMama

EarthMama — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:02:28 +0000

I don’t believe a word the CDC says! Anything you inject a pregnant woman with is going to go to the baby… and the research is just NOT there, that says the swine flu vaccine will not hurt the unborn child… or the mother, for that matter. Everybody & their uncle has had or has now the swine flu, in our town. Nobody has died yet. They’ve gotten sick… then have gotten better. Yes, some people have died from the swine flu, in our country, & more will in the future before all is said & done. There are some things in life we just have no control over… and worrying about them won’t change that.

You and I are of an age where we’ve been around the block a time or two, Dave… so we should both know this fact well by now. The folks in 1918 just went about their business of daily living, when the big flu hit back then. They buried their dead, mourned their losses, and went forward. Worry back then didn’t change anything either.

By: Dave Duffy

Dave Duffy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:39:07 +0000

Here’s the link to the CDC pdf advice page that talks about kids with asthma not getting the nasal vaccine:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-laiv-h1n1.pdf

By: Dave Duffy

Dave Duffy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:19:20 +0000

My grandson, Gavin, who is not yet four, has symptoms of asthma, and I cannot find clear guidance on this, so for now my daughter is holding off getting him the nasal vaccine.

By: joe

joe — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:56:36 +0000

They don’t have the shot available down here, just the nasal spray. but according to http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/nasalspray_qa.htm you should not give it to kids with asthma. my almost 5 year old son has mild asthma. we called his doc and he said he should get it anyways.

The tough thing is that people with asthma are more prone to complications if they contract h1n1. rock/hard place. I wish they just had the shots available or could tell me when they will become available.