News Moms Need

Some H1N1 flu vaccines have a preservative called thimerosal. Although some people have suggested a link between thimerosal and autism,  medical experts from the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) have thoroughly researched the issue and concluded that thimerosal-containing vaccines are NOT associated with autism. However, if you’re still concerned, a thimerosal-free version of the H1N1 vaccine is available.

The 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines that FDA is licensing (approving) will be manufactured in several formulations. Some will come in multi-dose vials and will contain thimerosal as a preservative. Multi-dose vials of seasonal influenza vaccine also contain thimerosal to prevent potential contamination after the vial is opened.

Some vaccine manufacturers will be producing 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in single-dose units, which will not require the use of thimerosal as a preservative. In addition, the live-attenuated version of the vaccine, which is administered intranasally (through the nose), is produced in single-units and will not contain thimerosal.  The nasal spray version, however, is not recommended for pregnant women.

Today the U.S. government reported that the outbreak of swine flu (also known as H1N1 flu) is continuing and may get worse in the fall.  Scientists are currently working on a vaccine, which may be ready in time for the fall flu season.

For more, read the March of Dimes article on swine flu. It includes information about this illness and pregnant women, infants, children and breastfeeding women.

It’s important for babies to get three doses of the vaccine Hib. On March 18, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory reminding us about this.

Hib stands for Haemophilus influenzae Type B, a type of bacteria. Hib can cause pneumonia and meningitis (a serious infection of the brain and spinal cord). Meningitis can lead to brain damage and even death.

FYI: Hib is not what causes the disease we call the flu. It’s a different bug altogether.

The CDC has learned that five young children in Minnesota got Hib. One of them died. None of the children had received the recommended three doses of the vaccine. Three of the children had not received a single dose.

So check with your child’s health care provider today, and find out if your baby is up-to-date on his Hib vaccine.

The March of Dimes has an article on immunizations for your baby. CDC has more on Hib.

Yesterday, a U.S. federal court dismissed cases from parents who claimed that vaccinations caused their children’s autism. According to NBC Nightly News, ”the parents failed to show that vaccinations played any role at all in causing autism.”

While some families still fear that there may be a connection between autism and vaccines, a large body of well-done research has found no link. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the March of Dimes all recommend that children be vaccinated.

While expressing concern for children with autism and their parents, the court said the research used to support the claims was severely inadequate. In the court’s view, the medical experts testifying for the parents were poorly qualified and lacked sufficient experience. In making its decision, the court reviewed over 5,000 pages of expert testimony and 939 medical articles.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and other organizations continue to support research to better understand the causes of autism. In a statement, DHHS said that it hoped the court’s decision “will help reassure parents that vaccines do not cause autism.”

To see an earlier post and discussion on this topic, click here.

At a checkup before pregnancy, your provider can do a blood test to find out if you’re immune to certain illnesses such as rubella (German measles) and chickenpox. If you’re not, you can safely be vaccinated before pregnancy. After you’re vaccinated, you should wait for one month before trying to conceive. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend these vaccines during pregnancy.

A while back I wrote a post about my “before-baby” check up. I discovered that my immunity to chickenpox was borderline so I received a booster. I always assumed I was immune because I had the chicken pox as a kid. I’m so glad I got that shot! A few months later I was exposed to a friend’s daughter who had the illness and I was newly pregnant.

For many years now, some families have been worried about a possible connection between autism and childhood immunizations. One small study many years ago raised the question. But since then, better-designed and more extensive research has found no connection between autism and immunizations.

This is how science works. One study leads to another and then another, until we have a better understanding of what’s going on.

Despite the newer studies, the debate continues. Meanwhile, if children aren’t immunized, they and their communities face the risk of very serious, even life-threatening diseases like diphtheria and measles.

The actress and mother Amanda Peet is speaking out, urging parents to immunize their kids. She’s joined forces with Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

On December 11, Ms. Peet and Dr. Offit spoke to National Public Radio. Give a listen. To learn more about autism and what scientists know about the causes, read the March of Dimes fact sheet.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the March of Dimes recommend that children be immunized.

Who should get the flu shot? 

If you’re pregnant, ask your  health care provider about getting a shot. Most pregnant women should be vaccinated. For more info, read about Flu and Pregnancy on the March of Dimes Web site.

If you have children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years, be sure they get their shots. For more, read Flu and Your Baby.

If you leave your children with babysitters or at day care centers, be sure that all child care workers have had their flu shots.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a helpful list of everyone else who should be vaccinated.

The flu can be a serious, even deadly disease. So take care of yourself and your family. And take a look at the CDC video Why Flu Vaccination Matters.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced lots of helpful ways to encourage people to get flu shots.

* Check out the video.
* Send an e-card to someone you care about.
* Add a badge to your Web site, Facebook or Myspace page.
* Add a widget to your Web site, Facebook or Myspace page.

Remember: The flu can be a serious, even life-threatening disease. All women who will be pregnant during the flu season should get a flu shot. And all healthy children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years should, too.  To learn who else should be vaccinated, visit the CDC Web site.

This is the final week to commemorate National Immunization Month. With a new school year just around the corner, we want to remind parents about vaccines. 

There’s a lot of discussion about vaccines, and some parents may be uncomfortable having their kids immunized.  The truth is that keeping shots up to date is not only critical to a child’s health, it’s vital to our country’s public health.  Vaccines protect our bodies from deadly diseases.  When children are vaccinated against these diseases, we help protect them and our country from a major outbreak.  Because of vaccines, we seldom see people afflicted with diseases that once claimed the lives of our parents’ generation.

But, in order for vaccines to be most effective, everyone needs to get their shots.  Diseases are a life-form and they can change and adapt over time.  Because there are more parents choosing against vaccines, diseases get a chance to alter into new forms that may not be prevented by the original vaccine. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently found that cases of measles are now on the rise again, with two outbreaks occurring in school-aged children.  There were 131 cases of measles from January through July of this year – a huge number when you bear in mind that this disease was considered eliminated in our country at the turn of the century.

So, as you hit the stores stocking up on school supplies and fall clothes, don’t forget to make a stop at the pediatrician’s office.  Make sure your kids are up to date on their vaccinations.  Their lives, and our country as a whole, depend on it!

Measles, Mumps, Polio – Not too far back, these diseases threatened the lives of our parents.  But, thanks to the advances made in health and science, these illnesses and many others are nearly wiped out in the U.S. today. 

Vaccines play a huge role in keeping our kids safe from infectious diseases.  Unfortunately, there is a growing movement against vaccinating children and more than 1 in 5 of the nation’s two-year-olds are NOT being fully vaccinated. 

This trend should alarm all parents.  Without maintaining high vaccination rates in our population, we could very soon see the day when these diseases return with full force.  Every child needs to be vaccinated to avoid this threat.

While, in rare cases, a child may have an allergic reaction to a vaccine, the benefits of vaccination far outweigh any risks. When vaccinated, children are protected against very serious and life-threatening diseases.  Learn more about vaccinations or contact your health care provider with any questions you may have.