04 Nov 2019
‘Get flu jab to protect you and your baby’ pregnant women in Kent and Medway urged
- The national goal is to vaccinate 55% of pregnant women against flu
- Last year the uptake in Kent and Medway was 42.5%
- Head of Midwifery and Gynaecology for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust dispels myths around the vaccine
- Pregnant woman from Folkestone, Kent, explains why she’s had the vaccine
Catching flu is more than a cough, sore throat and runny nose and for pregnant women can cause serious complications.
Pregnancy naturally weakens the body’s immune system, which means flu can cause complications for pregnant women as they are less able to fight off infections, increasing the risk of them and their unborn baby becoming ill.
Last year only 42.5% of pregnant women in Kent and Medway had their flu vaccination – the national goal is 55%.
Dr John Rodriguez, Public Health England Screening and Immunisation Lead for Kent and Medway, said:
“It’s extremely important that pregnant women get their flu vaccination – to protect themselves and their unborn babies. The most common complication of flu for pregnant women is bronchitis – a chest infection that can become serious and develop into pneumonia. The virus can also cause premature births, low birth weight and even stillbirths.”
The flu vaccine can be given safely at any stage of pregnancy, so women should contact their GP, pharmacist or midwife to arrange an appointment.
Ursula Marsh, Head of Midwifery and Gynaecology for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“There are a lot of myths surrounding pregnant women getting the flu jab. The vaccine does not contain any live flu viruses so cannot give you flu. Some people get a higher temperature and aching muscles for a couple of days afterwards and you may feel sore at the injection site, but it cannot give you flu.
“It cannot harm your unborn child – women who have had the flu vaccine while pregnant also pass some protection on to their babies, which lasts for the first few months of their lives. It’s also perfectly safe for women who are breastfeeding to have the vaccine. You can also have the flu jab at the same time as the whooping cough vaccine – but shouldn’t delay your flu jab to have them at the same time.”
Joanne Burns, 38, from Folkestone, Kent, is 14 weeks pregnant. She said:
“I had my free flu jab as soon as I realised I could because I wanted to do all I possibly could protect myself and my unborn child. People think that it just won’t happen to them, but what’s the point in taking the risk?”
Contact Information
Jenny Colyer
jenny.colyer@ukhsa.gov.uk
Notes to editors
Notes to editor
- For more information or to arrange interviews please contact Ellen.Hicks1@nhs.net or call 07730379921.
- If pregnant women experience flu symptoms they should talk to their doctor urgently, because if they do have flu there is a prescribed medicine that might help (or reduce the risk of complications), but it needs to be taken as soon as possible after the symptoms appear.
- Catching flu in pregnancy can lead to increased risks for both pregnant women and their babies. Vaccination against flu reduces these risks. Serious complications of flu in pregnant women include pneumonia, septic shock (a severe and life-threatening infection of the whole body), meningitis and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
- There is strong evidence that pregnant women have a higher risk of serious illness as a result of flu compared with the general population. The risks are highest in the last three months of pregnancy.
- Studies have shown that women who have been vaccinated against flu are less likely to give birth prematurely, and less likely to have a low-birthweight baby (see the results of a Canadian study ).
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