It may get fewer headlines these days, but H1N1 isn’t down for the count yet.

Back in June, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the spread of H1N1 had become a pandemic. Later this month, the WHO is meeting again to discuss whether the pandemic has peaked. 

However, even if the worst is over, the threat of the flu – H1N1 or seasonal – is still around.  According to the CDC, an estimated 41 million to 84 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the H1N1 flu, and it has resulted in up to 17,000 deaths in the U.S. to date.

So do you still need to be vaccinated? Public health officials and doctors alike have recommended the vaccine for pregnant women, who are at high risk of developing life-threatening complications such as pneumonia from the flu.  Yet only 45% of women in general got the flu shot, according to a Wiser Pregnancy survey.

Interestingly, even doctors who are also moms-to-be haven’t rushed out to get the H1N1 vaccine, according to a Wiser Pregnancy survey.  The majority (70%) of doctor-moms did get a shot for the seasonal flu shot, but only 19% received the H1N1 flu shot. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you shaken hands with someone lately? Taken a flight? Heard someone near you cough? You’ve probably thought, That person may have H1N1.

The 2009 H1N1 flu has everyone on germ watch. But for pregnant women, the alarm is justified –  they’re unusually susceptible to the virus. About 70% of people who have died from the 2009 H1N1 flu have been considered “high risk.” Included in this high-risk group are pregnant women.

As of early October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 28 pregnant women had died from 2009 H1N1 flu complications.

Why are pregnant women at higher risk for contracting the virus? Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, explains:

“A woman’s immune system changes during pregnancy to prevent an immune reaction against the fetus and the risk of infections can be greater [as a result]….The other reason is mechanical.  As the womb gets larger, with the baby growing, there can be pressing on the airways and a restrictive lung disease.  So it’s harder to take a deep breath, and it’s harder to fight off a lung infection, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.”

So the big question is, should pregnant women get vaccinated against H1N1?

Read the rest of this entry »