According to a recent study, pregnant women who had their flu shots in the first trimester of their pregnancy were found to be more likely to miscarry compared to women who had not been vaccinated during the first trimester.
The researchers who conducted the study were surprised, since they themselves had previously published studies that show no correlation between the flu vaccine and pregnancy.
As a result of the study, some health officials are worried that pregnant women might opt to not get vaccinated at all since they’re worried that they might suffer a miscarriage.
Vaccinations during your pregnancy can also protect your baby
Despite the results of the study, most obstetricians and doctors agree that flu vaccines are safe, even for pregnant women, and that it’s very important for pregnant moms to be vaccinated since it’s also a way for them to protect their newborns.
Since the vaccine isn’t allowed for children who are under 6 months, those babies might be vulnerable to flu since their bodies don’t have a way of fighting off the infection because their immune system is not yet developed. However, if the mother takes a flu vaccine during pregnancy, it helps protect their newborn since it can help prevent newborns from getting sick.
That’s why most doctors recommend mothers to have a flu shot during their pregnancy as it can help strengthen their newborn’s immune system.
What about the results of the study?
You might be wondering, “How about the results of the study? Won’t I suffer a miscarriage if I get vaccinated?”
It’s important to know that the study itself didn’t show that the flu shot actually caused the women to suffer a miscarriage. All it did was show an association between the vaccine and miscarriage.
What this means is that the study doesn’t show evidence that a flu vaccine causes miscarriage directly. There could be numerous other factors that can be considered which might have caused a miscarriage.
Furthermore, the study had a very small sample size. A smaller sample size can be very misleading since the numbers won’t be able to accurately show the actual trend compared to a larger sample size.
Also, if a pregnant women gets the flu during her pregnancy, she is 2 times more likely to die from the flu compared to a woman that’s not pregnant. So it’s very important for pregnant women to have a flu shot since it protects both the pregnant woman and her baby from flu.
It’s important for mothers to trust their doctors and to talk about their fears or any apprehension that they might have regarding vaccines. Their doctor can provide them good advice on what they can do to keep themselves and their unborn baby safe.
At the end of the day, it’s all about keeping yourself informed and knowing the options that are available to you during your pregnancy.
Source: familyshare.com
READ: Pregnancy and air pollution in Metro Manila: A guide for moms-to-be
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