Recently on social media, as the flu season has occurred, I have seen a lot of debate on to get a flu shot or not. I understand that some have their own personal reasons not to get a flu shot, even if it is thinking “that the Government is putting whatever it wants in us.” There are many reasons to get a flu shot if you work with the elderly and the young. A reason not commonly brought up is how the flu affects pregnant women. The flu can be extremely harmful to pregnant women and women who have recently had a child. The shot can protect the baby even months after birth. It harms less people to get a shot then to spread the flu to those with weaker immune systems. There is statistics to show that shots do not lead to miscarriage or birth defects like some believe.
“While 98 percent of pregnant women reported visiting a doctor or other medical professional at least once before or during pregnancy, the CDC found that only about 59 percent reported receiving a recommendation for and offer of flu vaccination from a doctor or other medical professional, while 16 percent received only a recommendation for — but no offer of — the vaccine. A whopping 26 percent received neither a recommendation for nor an offer of flu vaccination.”
- Simon, Mark N. “Most Pregnant Women Aren’t Getting the Flu Vaccine. That Needs to Change.” STAT, STAT News, 18 Jan. 2018, www.statnews.com/2018/01/18/flu-vaccine-pregnant-women/.