News Moms Need

April 20-27 is National Infant Immunization Week, so today we’re here to remind you of the importance of getting your little one all the vaccines she needs.

I always hated watching my kids get vaccinations (also called immunizations) and winced when they weren’t looking. If you’re a parent, it may actually seem more painful for you than for them! They may be uncomfortable for a minute, but these important shots help protect them from some serious childhood diseases like polio, chickenpox, measles, mumps and the flu. 

All children should be vaccinated for their own health and so they don’t spread infections or diseases to others. It’s important to keep a record of what your little ones have received so you know what’s coming up next. All childhood vaccines are given in two or more doses. Your baby needs more than one dose because each one builds up her immunity. Immunity is her body’s protection from disease. A second or third dose is needed to fully protect her. These doses work best if they’re spread out over time.

In the first 2 years of life, your baby gets several vaccines to protect her. This handy schedule shows each vaccine your baby gets up to 6 years of age. It also shows how many doses she gets of each vaccine and when she needs to get them. Your baby should get vaccinations and boosters regularly, all the way through age 18.

Often health care providers will hand out a booklet or form to parents to help them keep a record of their child’s vaccinations. Ask your child’s doc if he has one for you to use.

A friend of mine is very sick with the flu and has a fever of 105. Influenza (the flu) is no joke. It’s more than just a runny nose and sore throat. Instead, it can cause a person to be very sick. And for some people, it can be life-threatening. It can be especially harmful to pregnant women. Pregnant women are at high risk of having serious health problems from the flu, but the vaccine can protect both mother and baby from the flu and its possible consequences.

Flu is taking its toll in 2013. The CDC reports this year’s flu season is above “epidemic thresholds.” Join us on Twitter for a chat about flu and pregnancy, signs and symptoms, about the safety of the vaccine and when to contact your health care provider. Dr. Siobhan Dolan will be with us to answer any questions you may have.

Stop by at 1 PM ET on Friday, February 1st. Be sure to use #pregnancychat to join the conversation.

In general, the flu is worse than the common cold. Symptoms such as fever, body aches, tiredness, and cough are more common and intense with the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose and a sore throat. Your health care provider can give you a test within the first few days of your illness to tell you if you have the flu or something else.

Children, pregnant women, the elderly and immune-compromised are at highest risk for severe, even life-threatening reactions. You’ve probably seen the numbers in the news. To date, the CDC has received reports of 18 deaths of children this season. Influenza activity continues to spread in the U.S. and most of the country is now experiencing high levels of influenza-like illness (ILI), according to CDC’s latest FluView  report. The CDC continues to recommend influenza vaccination for people who have not yet been vaccinated this season and antiviral treatment as early as possible for people who get sick and are at high risk of flu complications.

The influenza vaccine is safe at any time during pregnancy. Almost all women who are or will be pregnant during flu season can get the shot. Getting the flu shot can help protect you from getting influenza and spreading it to others. Getting a flu shot during pregnancy is good for your baby, too. Babies born to women who get the vaccine during pregnancy are less likely to get sick with influenza. As newborns, they are not able to get the vaccine until the age of six months, all the more reason to have those around them vaccinated.

“While influenza vaccination offers the best protection we have against influenza, it’s still possible that some people may become ill despite being vaccinated,” says Dr. Joe Bresee of the CDC. “Health care providers and the public should remember that influenza antiviral medications are a second line of defense against influenza.”

Antiviral treatment (sold commercially as “Tamiflu®” and “Relenza®”) started as early as possible after becoming ill, is recommended for any patients with confirmed or suspected influenza who are hospitalized, seriously ill, or ill and at high risk of serious influenza-related complications. Treatment should begin as soon as influenza is suspected, regardless of vaccination status or rapid test results and should not be delayed for confirmatory testing.

Seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of the following:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Purple or blue discoloration of the lips
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Seizures
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough

It’s the tail end of my pregnancy and I’ve been busy getting all sorts of things ready to welcome our second baby. One thing I recently crossed off my to-do list was to have all of us (my husband, our daughter and me) get our yearly flu vaccine to protect us from flu.

Getting the flu is more than just having the sniffles or a cough. I got the flu once several years ago and it completely wiped me out! I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. I had trouble breathing, no appetite, fever and chills, and was always exhausted even though I slept for most of the day. I was so sick that I never want to get the flu again!

It’s important for everyone to get the flu vaccine, but that’s especially true if you’re pregnant. That’s because you’re much more likely to have serious health complications from flu during pregnancy. Some health complications include miscarriage, preterm labor, premature birth or having a low-birthweight baby. In some cases, flu during pregnancy can even be deadly.

Don’t forget to have your partner and other children get their flu vaccine, too. Babies can get their first flu vaccine at age 6 months. But for us, our newborn baby will be too young to get his or her flu vaccine for much of this year’s flu season. So, the best way to protect our new baby and the rest of us from flu is to make sure the whole family gets the flu vaccine.

If you have any questions about getting the flu vaccine, talk to your health provider. Learn more about vaccinations during pregnancy and your baby’s vaccinations. Visit flu.gov for more information on flu.

Did you know that pregnant women are more likely to be hospitalized from complications of the flu than non-pregnant women of the same age?

Pregnancy increases the risk of complications of flu, such as bacterial pneumonia and dehydration, which can be serious and even fatal. Pregnancy also can change a woman’s immune system, as well as affect her heart and lungs. Getting vaccinated at any time during pregnancy is the best way pregnant women can protect themselves and their babies from the flu.

Recent research published in PLoS Medicine earlier this year also found that getting a flu shot during pregnancy may offer some protection from having a premature or low birth weight baby. The study looked at births in Georgia from 2004 to 2006 and found that pregnant women who received the flu vaccine and who gave birth during the October through May flu season were 40 percent less likely to have a baby born too soon.

The flu vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective. As an added bonus, during pregnancy, mothers pass on their immunity, protecting babies in those early months of life. Parents of children younger than 6 months should be vaccinated against influenza because these children cannot receive the preventive vaccine. Those who live with pregnant women or young children, or are in close contact with them, should be immunized. If you have a child who is 6 months or older, she should get a seasonal flu vaccine every year. The flu vaccine is safe for most children.

Make it a family affair. There is plenty to go around, so schedule your flu shots today.

Are your older kids getting ready to go to school? Are you shopping for their clothes and book bags? Don’t forget their vaccinations, too.

Immunizations are responsible for eliminating polio and smallpox in the United States, and they have seriously reduced the number of deaths from chickenpox. However, infectious diseases like viral hepatitis, influenza, and tuberculosis (TB) remain a major cause of illness, disability, and death.

Despite progress, approximately 42,000 adults and 300 children in the United States die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases, according to the US Dept. of Health & Human Services. Communities with pockets of unvaccinated and under-vaccinated populations are at increased risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. In 2008, measles that were brought in from other countries resulted in 140 reported cases here — nearly a 3-fold increase over the previous year. The appearance of new or replacement strains of vaccine-preventable disease can result in a major increase in serious illnesses and death.

Respiratory infectious diseases, like the flu and pneumonia, continue to be leading causes of pediatric hospitalization and outpatient visits in the United States. On average, the flu leads to more than 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths each year. The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic caused an estimated 270,000 hospitalizations and 12,270 deaths in less than a year.

A major goal of Healthy People 2020 is to protect Americans against infectious diseases by increasing immunization in communities nationwide. This can only be achieved if we all pay attention and keep up with our vaccinations throughout our lives. So, while you’re picking up your child’s papers, pencils and snow parkas, be sure to remember to get his vaccinations, too. And don’t forget to bring along his brothers and sisters!

Aside from helping to prevent the miseries of the flu, a flu shot during pregnancy may reduce a woman’s risk of delivering a premature baby. Every year, more than half a million babies are born prematurely in the United States. Since 1981, the premature birth rate has risen by 30 percent. Babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health challenges and are at risk of lifelong disabilities.
 
A new study reviewed data from over 4000 births over a two year time frame in the state of Georgia. Roughly 15% of pregnant women received flu shots. These women who delivered during flu season (defined as October through May) were on average 40% less likely to deliver prematurely, before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. During the peak flu season (January & February), vaccinated women were 72% less likely to deliver prematurely as opposed to unvaccinated women.  Additionally, babies born during peak flu season to mothers who were vaccinated were 69% less likely to be small for gestational age.

At other times of year (not flu season), the study found no association between flu vaccination and reduced premature birth. Because of this, the researchers believe that it is the vaccine that is offering this protection. And an earlier study found that getting the flu vaccine during pregnancy can even protect your baby after delivery.

When you’re pregnant, your immune system isn’t as quick to respond to illnesses as it was before pregnancy. Your body knows that pregnancy is OK and that it shouldn’t reject your baby. Your body naturally lowers your immune system’s ability to protect you and respond to illnesses so that it can welcome your growing baby. But a lowered immune system means you’re more likely to catch illnesses like the flu. Your lungs and heart are working harder to support you and your baby and this stress on your body also can make it more likely for you to get an illness like the flu. 

For these reasons, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians and the March of Dimes all recommend women get vaccinated against the flu during pregnancy.

A recent study published last month revealed that many pregnant women are not receiving flu shots, despite the fact that they are one of the primary target audiences to receive the vaccine, especially the H1N1.  Hey folks, this is important.

Did you know that pregnant women are more likely to be hospitalized from complications of the flu than non-pregnant women of the same age? Pregnancy can change a pregnant women’s immune system and affect her heart and lungs. These changes can increase the risk for complications from the flu.

Flu shots are generally considered safe at any stage of pregnancy. Almost all women who will be pregnant during flu season (November through March) should receive a flu shot. If that’s you, roll up your sleeve.  The only exception is pregnant women who are allergic to eggs because egg products are used to make the vaccine.

Pregnant women should get a flu shot, but avoid the nasal flu mist vaccine (LAIV). It is not approved for use by pregnant women.  Watch our video for more information.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends annual seasonal influenza immunization for all children above the age of 6 months, including teens.  If you want to read it, the AAP policy statement, “Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2010-2011,” will be published in the October 2010 print issue of the journal Pediatrics and released earlier online.

Influenza can be a serious illness for young children, especially between the ages of 6 months and five years.  It is recommended that special efforts should be made to immunize all family members, household contacts, and out-of-home care providers of children who are aged younger than 5 years; children with high-risk conditions (ie, asthma, diabetes or neurologic disorders); healthcare personnel; and pregnant women.

The vaccine should be much easier to get this year.  Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, says the federal Affordable Care Act mandates for the first time that Medicare and private health plans offer flu vaccine coverage without co-pays or deductibles. Uninsured children are covered under the federal Vaccines for Children program.

Although two influenza vaccines were recommended last year, only a single trivalent vaccine is being manufactured for the current 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine schedule and there will be plenty of it available.  This year’s vaccine protects against 2009 H1N1, or swine flu, and the two other flu viruses that also are expected to cause disease this year.

You may have seen our previous post explaining how flu (both seasonal and H1N1) affects women during pregnancy, or understanding the facts vs. myths about flu vaccines. Earlier this week, the New York Times published an article about one woman’s tragic experience with H1N1 during her pregnancy. The young woman featured in this piece tells her sad story in an effort to encourage pregnant women to get both the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines.

Some areas of the country have started to receive their shipments of the H1N1 vaccine. But other areas are still waiting. My husband, who works in health care, is among those who should get the H1N1 vaccine first. But when he called his doctor last week to make an appointment, he was told they still hadn’t received the H1N1 vaccine shipment. They asked him to call back in November.

While some people may have a delay in access to the H1N1 vaccine, keep calling your health provider, watch for news reports or contact your local health department to find out when the vaccine is coming to your area. In the meantime, follow these tips to help avoid the flu. If you’re pregnant and have flu-like symptoms, contact your health provider right away so that s/he can start you on flu medications. You must have a prescription from your health provider to get this medication. 

Also, beware of any advertisements for H1N1 flu products that you may see either online or in print. Some of these products are fake and may contain ingredients that can be harmful to your pregnancy. Again, only your health provider can prescribe your flu medication. Never take any medications or herbal remedies without talking with your health provider first.