Pregnant women across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are being urged to get the flu jab to protect both them and their unborn baby.
Catching flu is more than a cough, sore throat and runny nose and for pregnant women can cause serious complications. Pregnancy naturally weakens the body’s immune system, which means flu can cause complications for pregnant women as they are less able to fight off infections, increasing the risk of them and their unborn baby becoming ill.
More pregnant women in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have their flu vaccine (51.3%), than the average for England (45.2%) but uptake is still below the national goal of 55%.
Clare Simpson, Consultant in Public Health and Screening and Immunisation Lead for Hampshire and Isle of Wight said:
“It’s extremely important that pregnant women get their flu vaccination – to protect themselves and their unborn babies. The most common complication of flu for pregnant women is bronchitis – a chest infection that can become serious and develop into pneumonia. The virus can also cause premature births, low birth weight and even stillbirths.”
The flu vaccine can be given safely at any stage of pregnancy, so women should contact their GP, pharmacist or midwife to arrange an appointment.
Fay Corder, Associate Director of Midwifery at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“There are a lot of myths surrounding pregnant women getting the flu jab. The vaccine cannot give you flu because it does not contain any live flu viruses. Some people experience mild side effects such as a slightly raised temperature, aching muscles for a couple of days afterwards, or soreness at the injection site, but these are much preferable to catching flu, which can be extremely dangerous, for both mums and their babies.
Article continues below this advertisement “The vaccination cannot harm your unborn child, and in fact women who have had the flu vaccine while pregnant also pass some protection on to their babies, which lasts for the first few months of their lives. It’s also perfectly safe for women who are breastfeeding to have the vaccine.
“You can also have the flu jab at the same time as the whooping cough vaccine – but you shouldn’t delay your flu jab to have them at the same time.”
