Will You Be Pregnant During F... Health Article

Pregnant women in their second or third trimester during influenza season should be immunized.

For most people, influenza is an infection that causes fever, muscle aches, headaches, severe fatigue, cough, and runny nose for several days with some symptoms that linger for weeks. But it usually offers no cause for serious long-term health concerns. For others, however, the same infection can pose much graver health risks, with consequences that may be life-threatening. The severity of influenza varies year to year.

Influenza viruses are spread from person to person by coughing and sneezing. The incubation period for influenza is 1 to 4 days. Adults typically are infectious from the day before symptoms begin through approximately 5 days after illness onset. Children can be infectious for 10 or more days, and young children can shed virus for up to 6 days before their illness onset. Severely immunocompromised persons can shed virus for weeks or months.

Immunization against the viruses that cause influenza can prevent an infection or lessen its severity. According to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people age 50 and older, people with a weakened immune system, pregnant women (unless there are extenuating circumstances), children under 24 months, as well as the people with whom they are in frequent contact (family members, day care workers), are strongly advised to get immunized against the flu virus in early to mid autumn. The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot.

Who Should Not Get Flu Vaccine

CDC recommends people in the following groups should not get flu vaccine before talking with their doctor:

• People who are have a severe allergy (I.e. anaphylactic allergic reaction) to hens' eggs

• It is prudent to avoid vaccination in people who previously developed Guillain-Barré (GBS) in the 6 weeks after getting a flu shot.