Last year one pregnant colleague stayed home for several weeks because we had cases of swine flu at our school. Back then there was so much conflicting information about the emergency swine flu vaccine that - quite rightly - she opted against the shot. Now the regular flu shot (which is much better in a lot of ways) also covers H1N1.
Over here the communication has been very straightforward: if you're pregnant and in the second or third trimester, you should get vaccinated. That's also the message they gave last year, when they noticed pregnant women were very vulnerable for complications when they got swine flu. They never questioned the effectiveness of the vaccine though. Teachers were also considered a vulnerable group, but I opted out, because frankly I've never had the flu in my life.
Last year they started giving out the advice that when you're pregnant you should get the regular seasonal flu shot. So this year, when the communications mill started turning, I asked my midwife for advice and she told me that yes I should get the shot, because whatever seasonal flu you catch, it doesn't mix well with being pregnant.
People weren't talking about the effectiveness which wasn't called into question, but about the general make-up of the vaccine and its side-effects. And this was all happening when the vaccine was being made available - there was quite a bit of fear-mongering going on but there were also enough sensible and cautious voices.
The one person who got H1N1 (or so she says her doctor said, she didn't get tested) in my team was the very hygiene-conscious ex-nurse who kept using sanitary hand-gel.
Strange, we never got any complaints on the possible side effects. And at least I'm not having any right now, except for my arm being a bit sore where I got the shot, but hardly anything worth mentioning when you compare it how you feel after a tetanus shot.
Germans tend to worry about side effects.... and most of the worrying was done about last year's emergency flu shot not the regular one. (Some people report getting cold-like symptoms.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 08:55 am (UTC)Last year one pregnant colleague stayed home for several weeks because we had cases of swine flu at our school. Back then there was so much conflicting information about the emergency swine flu vaccine that - quite rightly - she opted against the shot. Now the regular flu shot (which is much better in a lot of ways) also covers H1N1.
I hope there are only minimal side effects.
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 02:09 pm (UTC)Last year they started giving out the advice that when you're pregnant you should get the regular seasonal flu shot. So this year, when the communications mill started turning, I asked my midwife for advice and she told me that yes I should get the shot, because whatever seasonal flu you catch, it doesn't mix well with being pregnant.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 03:39 pm (UTC)People weren't talking about the effectiveness which wasn't called into question, but about the general make-up of the vaccine and its side-effects. And this was all happening when the vaccine was being made available - there was quite a bit of fear-mongering going on but there were also enough sensible and cautious voices.
The one person who got H1N1 (or so she says her doctor said, she didn't get tested) in my team was the very hygiene-conscious ex-nurse who kept using sanitary hand-gel.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 03:39 pm (UTC)Oops, wrong place...
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 09:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-14 04:58 pm (UTC)Germans tend to worry about side effects.... and most of the worrying was done about last year's emergency flu shot not the regular one. (Some people report getting cold-like symptoms.)