I’ll be the first one to admit I was initially skeptical of the severity of the H1N1 virus when it first hit the media this past summer. When the controversy over the vaccine surfaced, I leaned towards not getting it, but now that we know a lot more about the virus and the effects it has had on our country, I am much more likely to get the vaccine if I can even get on the list. Because I am over 25 and my son is older than 6 months, I just missed the requirements for being in the high priority group – the first people to get access to the vaccine – but my son is on the waiting list for when the vaccine is available in my area.
Talking to my son’s pediatrician addressed many of the concerns I had about the vaccine. I wrote about this on the baby blog a few weeks ago. You can read about what he said here: Flu Shots for Babies. I was worried about him getting sick from the vaccine, for example, but apparently that is a myth about flu shots.
Tonight I saw a very sad story on the news about a woman who died shortly after she gave birth to a baby girl through emergency cesarean section. She had gotten sick with H1N1. Fortunately the baby girl lived, but her grandparents are heartbroken that she’ll never know her mother. Pregnancy compromises the immune system, making it even harder for pregnant woman to battle the flu. Pregnant woman will be some of the first to be able to get the H1N1 vaccine and doctors are strongly recommending that all pregnant women get the vaccine to protect themselves. The secondary benefit of getting the vaccine while pregnant is that you will pass on the immunity to your child.