Can pregnant women get the flu vaccine? Side effects of the flu vaccine

Flu is a disease that people are afraid of. Why are people so afraid? Because it affects a wide range of people and is very easy to be infected. So can pregnant women get the flu vaccine? Does the flu vaccine have any side effects on the baby?

The best preventive measure for the extremely lethal flu is to get a flu shot. It is recommended that pregnant women get the shot during pregnancy. If you don’t have time, get the shot immediately after the baby is born. This will provide protection. The flu shot may have side effects, but it is basically safe!

The reason why influenza is so scary is that it breaks out quickly, spreads widely, and has serious complications, especially bacterial and viral pneumonia. High-risk groups include the elderly, infants, pregnant women, and patients with chronic diseases such as heart, lung, kidney and metabolic diseases, or those with compromised immune function. Regular influenza vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza complications.

The following table tells you the difference between influenza and the common cold↓↓

Why are pregnant women also at high risk for influenza?

Since 2014, the government has included women who are pregnant or within six months after giving birth in the list of beneficiaries of publicly funded influenza vaccines. The purpose is that during pregnancy, the pressure on the cardiopulmonary function of pregnant women increases, their resistance is weaker, and they are relatively more susceptible to influenza. After the baby is born, it takes 6 months before the vaccine can be given. Therefore, the baby's resistance is very poor between 0-6 months. It is best for mothers to take preventive vaccines one after another, otherwise it is easy to infect the child!

Some research reports even point out that the antibodies produced by pregnant women receiving influenza vaccines can enter the placenta through the umbilical cord and indirectly protect the newborn. According to Yoho Health, several US research reports point out that pregnant women receiving influenza vaccines can not only protect themselves, but also help reduce the premature birth rate by 70%. (Click here for the full report)

The conditions for pregnant women to receive influenza vaccination are: they must have obtained the Maternal Health Handbook compiled by the National Health Administration; and they must be women within 6 months of giving birth who hold their baby's birth certificate or have completed the household registration of their newborn baby (calculated by subtracting the baby's birth date from the year of vaccination for the mother, which should be less than or equal to 6 months).

Things to note when getting a flu shot

Who should be vaccinated?

The groups that can receive influenza vaccination include: people aged 65 and above, residents and caregivers of nursing homes, patients with rare diseases, children aged six months and above to fourth grade of elementary school, medical and health and epidemic prevention personnel, poultry and livestock industry and animal epidemic prevention personnel, and patients with serious injuries and illnesses.

When should I get vaccinated?

October 1st of each year is the starting date for public influenza vaccination. The protective effect of influenza vaccine is short-lived, and the protective effect may decrease 4-6 months after vaccination. The protective effect generally does not exceed 1 year. Therefore, it is recommended that vaccination be carried out once a year, which is a globally consistent practice.

Where to get vaccinated?

Please bring your ID and health insurance card to get the flu vaccine. If you have a serious injury or chronic disease, please show relevant proof. If you want to know which clinics near your home can get the vaccine, you can go to the website of the Centers for Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare to check. After entering the website, click on the county or city where you live to enter all the clinics or institutions in the county or city that can get the flu vaccine.

Vaccination doses for each age group

For children aged 6 months and above but less than 3 years old, the vaccination dose is 0.25 ml each time.

The vaccination dose for children over 3 years old is 0.5 ml.

Children aged 8 years and under should receive 2 doses for the first time.

If you have received seasonal influenza vaccine in the past (either 1 or 2 doses), you only need to receive 1 dose this year.

People aged 9 and above only need one dose, regardless of past seasonal influenza vaccination history.

Reminder: There should be at least 4 weeks (one month) between the first and second doses.

Flu vaccine may have temporary side effects

After influenza vaccination, there may be pain, redness and swelling at the injection site. A small number of people may experience mild systemic reactions, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, nausea, itchy skin, urticaria or rash, etc. These reactions usually recover naturally within 1-2 days after the onset, and serious side effects rarely occur.

Who should not get the flu vaccine?

1. Those who are known to be severely allergic to protein will not be vaccinated.

2. Those who are known to be allergic to the ingredients of the vaccine will not be vaccinated.

3. Those who have had serious adverse reactions to previous injections will not be vaccinated.

4. Patients with fever or acute illness should postpone vaccination.

5. Others who are assessed by a physician as unsuitable for vaccination.

In addition to the flu vaccine, another vaccine that pregnant women and newborns should also receive is the whooping cough vaccine. Pregnant women should receive a dose of the vaccine at their own expense 28 to 36 weeks before delivery to provide their newborns with sufficient antibodies to prevent infection. The baby also needs to be vaccinated two months after birth.

Herd protection from vaccines

Should you get the flu vaccine and whooping cough vaccine? It's up to you to decide, but before that, I hope everyone can have the concept of herd protection of vaccines. That is to say, when the baby is too young to be vaccinated, the adults around them can be vaccinated, and a herd protection network can be established to protect the children.