Pregnant women urged to get flu jab

Pregnant women are being urged to get the swine flu vaccine against as soon as it becomes available despite the "not unfounded" concerns about its possible impact on the unborn child.

Dr Michael O'Connell, consultant obstetrician and spokesman for the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said there was concern pregnant women would not take the vaccine given their natural inclination to avoid any medication during pregnancy.

He said statistics indicated up to 2,000 pregnant women could become "seriously ill, even fatally," if pregnant declined to be vaccinated in large numbers, he said.

He argued the risks of complications for pregnant women from becoming seriously ill from the H1N1 virus outweighed risks from the vaccine.

Speaking at a press briefing on the vaccine and pregnant or breastfeeding women today, Dr O'Connell said there were about 70,000 pregnant women in the population at any one time.

"If we take as a conservative estimate that 30 per cent of the population will contract the virus, that's about 21,000 pregnant women," he said. "About 90 per cent of them will will contract a mild form of the virus and be able to manage it at home with paracetamol and plenty of fluids. However about ten per cent will become seriously ill and will require hospitalisation."

Pregnant women are among the at-risk groups being prioritised for vaccination.

"Evidence suggests pregnant women are four times more likely to develop serious complications or be hospitalised from H1N1 than non-pregnant women," said Dr O'Connell. "These complications include early labour or severe pneumonia. The risk of these complications is higher after 14 weeks of pregnancy and for pregnant women who are at risk of medical complications."

Pregnancy increases the risk of severe complications as a woman's immune system is partially repressed and her respiratory system is compromised during pregnancy. The risks increase as the pregnancy progresses.

Concerns about the vaccine have centred around the inclusion of the mercury-based preservative Thimerosol, which some have attempted to link to an increased risk of autism and other brain development disorders.

A Thimerosol-free version of the vaccine has been made available to pregnant women and young children in the United States though none is available here yet.

Dr O'Connell explained the brand available here, Pandemrix, did contain Thimerosol but stressed the consensual expert opinion world-wide was that it was there had "never been a cause and effect adverse reaction shown with the use of Thimerosol in vaccine for pregnant women or their babies."

He said there was no indication yet as to when a Thimerosol-free version of the vaccine would be available here and he urged pregnant women not to wait for it. "All the institutes says the Pandemrix vaccine is safe in pregnant women and we are talking about preventing a very serious illness here."

He said pregnant women should not panic. "They shouldn't worry. The fears that are being expressed are not unfounded but we have to come forward and say the best evidence we have is that they should get the vaccine."

The vaccine would be available at GP surgeries and all women over 14 weeks pregnant and up to six weeks after giving birth should contact them to arrange vaccination.

Women less than 14 weeks pregnant should be vaccinated if they have a medical condition such as long term lung, heart, kidney, liver or neurological disease. It was also safe for breastfeeding women, he added.