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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