Pregnant women & swine flu

This may have been mentioned in other forums but thought I would post it here... Taken from a news article:

The Ministry of Health says overseas, there are reports of severe illness from H1N1 among pregnant women and it says the group is at greater risk of complications from the virus and needs to be particularly watchful for signs and symptoms.

The Ministry says pregnant women are thought to be more susceptible to all types of influenza because of the physiological changes that occur in pregnancy, including changes to the immune system. The baby may also be at increased risk due to the mother's response to infection, such as a high temperature.

Dr Darren Hunt, Deputy Director of Public Health, says pregnant women who have influenza symptoms should call their GP or Healthline for advice.

i survived the swine flu at 36 weeks preg..

i didnt even know i had it.. not a single cold/flu symptom except a tight chest pain... and i happened to be at a midwife hospital appt and was able to get seen to...

spent 2 days in hospital and was quickly given a script for tamiflu... scary thing is there is no research as to what effect tamifly has on the unborn child.. i was just told "the benefits out weigh the risks" whatever that means ?!?!?!

Id like to know the statistics in NZ for ordinary sesonal flu (seeing as 600,000 people die world wide from this each year)

i think the media have really gone to town on the whole swine flu thing...

bun in the oven I totally agree. The whole swine flu thing is so overrated! Just another thing the drug companies can make money from new vaccines and tamiflu!

I have been totally sick over the past 4 weeks with so many symptoms that are indicative of H1N1. I have been to see the doctors 5 times but they are all so blase about it all, even though I am over half way through my pregnancy. They just don't seem to be testing for it anymore.

I'm going to go and get the free vaccine if I'm allowed and also get it for my daughter so at least if I get flu symptoms I can rule out normal influenza.

Just not looking forward to hanging out in the waiting room to get it.

I'm meaning the standard flu vaccine that the MOH just made available to everyone for free.

The H1N1 vaccine is only available to health workers until it is tested and certified which won't be until at least the end of this year.

I got the flu over 3 weeks ago, and I'm still sufferring on the chest and cough front. I went straight to the doctors for testing (H1N1), and they told me that a dose of Relenza would be delivered to me within 24 hours from the local health people. It never came :(
It started with a sore throat, vomitting and fever. What is worse is that different pharmacies told me contradictory information about what I could and couldn't take as well. One pharmacy saying that it's ok to take Duro-Tuss lozenges and Robitusson DM Forte, (which they sold me), and another pharmacy literally going off their nut that I was acutally prescribed that over the counter.
How are we supposed to take care of our unborn babies and ourselves when Healthcare Professionals can't get it right?
There's too much at stake.

Well it's predicted to come back again next winter so unless you want to hold off indefinitely I would just go for it.

Holstarr that's shocking. I hope you are following up to make a complaint. That shouldn't happen.

Yep you can if you are past 14 weeks. I just checked it out online.

Although my doc wouldn't give it to me last year because I was BFing.

Also babies past 6months can have it.

lol don't apologise - I had literally just jumped online to look it up and so I thought I'd come in here and let you all know.