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Pregnant? Getting a vaccine may be a hassle

 
By The ASSOCIATED PRESS | Published: September 29, 2009    Comment on this article Leave a comment

WASHINGTON — It’s hard for pregnant women to escape the message: You’re at extra risk from swine flu — it could trigger premature labor, hospitalize you for weeks, even kill you — so be among the first in line for vaccine next month. But only about one in seven pregnant women gets a flu shot each winter.

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A key obstacle: Many obstetricians don’t vaccinate. And not only are many women reluctant to go hunting for flu shots elsewhere, historically some pharmacists and other providers have been wary of vaccinating them.

"It’s not supposed to happen that you, when you are pregnant, are fighting for your life on a respirator,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Any kind of flu is risky during pregnancy, and pregnant women have been on the get-a-flu-shot priority list for years. Their reluctance to take any medication during pregnancy is part of the reason for the low vaccination rates.

With swine flu, what doctors call the 2009 H1N1 strain, pregnant women seem at particular risk for complications.

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Related Topics: Culture and Lifestyle, Health and Fitness, Contagious and Infectious Diseases, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Vaccines, Medical Treatments and Procedures, Family, Influenza, Women's Health, Prenatal Health, Labor and Delivery, Swine Flu, Immunotherapy



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