Download What is flu? What does the vaccine protect against? Why should

What is flu?
Seasonal flu happens every year,
usually in the winter. It is a highly
infectious disease caused by a virus
and spreads easily from person to
person.
Flu is far more serious than a cold.
Symptoms hit you suddenly and
severely and usually include fever,
chills, headaches and aching muscles
- you can often get a cough and sore
throat at the same time.
Why should pregnant women
get the flu vaccine?
It is recommended that all pregnant
women, at any stage of pregnancy, get
the seasonal flu vaccine. This is
because pregnant women are more
prone to complications from flu, which
can cause very serious illness for both
the mother and her baby.
There are several reasons for this:
•
During pregnancy, a woman’s
natural immunity to infection is
reduced in order to prevent the
baby being rejected and so they
may be more likely to get seriously
ill if they get flu.
•
As the womb increases in size, the
lungs get squashed, so the woman
may not be able to breathe as
deeply as before. This increases
the risk of infections, such as
pneumonia, that can follow flu.
A vaccine is available every year to
protect those people who are most at
risk – including pregnant women - from
catching or spreading flu.
What does the vaccine protect
against?
The vaccine will protect against three
strains of the flu virus, including the
H1N1 strain which caused the swine
flu pandemic in 2009. Every year, the
most likely strains of flu that are
expected to cause illness are identified
in advance by the World Health
Organization. The vaccine is then
produced and made available in
October.
•
The H1N1 virus is now one of the
seasonal flu viruses. H1N1 seems
to affect younger people in
particular, so pregnant women
make up a bigger proportion of
those with complications than is the
case with other strains of flu.
For all these reasons, pregnant women
should have the flu vaccination at any
stage of their pregnancy. Importantly
having the vaccination when pregnant
helps protect their baby from flu in the
first few months of life.
When should pregnant women
get the flu jab?
All pregnant women, at any stage of
pregnancy, are advised to get the flu
vaccine during flu season. This is
normally between October and
January, and the vaccine is free from
your GP practice. But you should aim
to get the jab as early as possible
during the flu season. If you are
pregnant, you should contact your GP
to arrange an appointment.
I am pregnant, haven’t had the
vaccination and think I may
now have flu. What should I
do?
You should talk to your doctor
immediately, because if you do have
flu, the antivirals he or she will
prescribe for you need to be taken very
soon after the first symptoms appear.
As you won’t know which flu virus has
caused your flu, you should then have
the vaccination to protect you against
the other flu viruses as soon as the
illness has gone. Talk to your GP or
midwife if you are unsure.
Is the vaccine safe and
effective in pregnancy?
YES – The vaccine has been given
routinely to pregnant women in other
European countries and in the USA for
many years. Research on the safety
and effectiveness of the flu vaccine in
pregnancy has shown that it can be
given at any stage of pregnancy and
that there is no evidence of problems
for pregnant women or their babies.
Do I need a flu vaccine if I have
had one before?
YES – This year’s vaccine contains
protection against three strains of the
flu virus. Therefore the jab varies
slightly each year to match the strains
expected to cause most infections in
the coming season. Even if you have
had a jab before, you will probably not
be protected against all three virus
strains in this year’s vaccine and an
additional dose will just boost any
existing immunity.
How does the vaccine work?
There are NO live viruses and the
vaccine CANNOT give you the flu. The
vaccine works by tricking your immune
system into thinking it has been
infected with the flu virus so that it
creates antibodies against it. These
antibodies help to protect you and your
baby against seasonal flu viruses that
you may come into contact with.
About a week to ten days after you
have had the flu vaccine, your body
starts making antibodies to fight off
what it thinks is a virus in the vaccine.
If you are then exposed to flu, your
immune system will destroy the virus
before it can cause any serious illness.
To find out more about the flu
vaccine please contact your GP
practice, speak to your midwife or
visit www.nhs.uk/flu
Please don’t delay – make sure
you get vaccine today to protect
yourself, your baby and your
loved ones.
Pregnancy
and Flu
Important information
for pregnant women
about the seasonal
flu vaccine