The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends the flu vaccine to women as a part of routine prenatal care, especially if the pregnancy lasts more than three months out of the flu season. The flu season typically begins in October and runs through the middle of May. Side effects and contraindications of the flu shot are the same for pregnant women as they are for any other adults. Risks to the fetus have not been fully studied.
Injection Site Effects
Side effects of the injection itself are common and considered to be mild, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most likely effects include soreness, redness or swelling. This can take two or even three days to subside. The injection is given in the muscle tissue of the arm in most cases; this tissue can feel bruised or painful when used after the injection.
Flu-Like Side Effects
The inactivated vaccine in the shot doesn't cause a pregnant woman to have a mild case of the flue. The immune system does respond to the injected virus by creating antibodies, which will later be ready to fight off the live flu virus if the woman comes in contact with it. The result of the immune system stimulation is sometimes a very mild fever and some body aches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These symptoms are not persistent and are considered mild.
Contraindications
Women who have had a severe reaction to previous flu shots should not get the vaccine during pregnancy. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warns women with egg allergies to avoid the vaccine. Individuals who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within six weeks of previous flu vaccines should not get the shot during pregnancy, or ever again. This syndrome results in an individual's body damaging its own nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Any pregnant women who have a moderate-to-severe illness that includes a fever should wait until the illness subsides before getting the flu shot.
References
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Pregnant Women Reminded to Get Flu Vaccination
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC- Season influenza (flu) Q& Seasonal Flu and Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation: Pregnancy and the Flu
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC- Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine
