The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reiterated its recommendation that all women who will be pregnant during the flu season-October through mid-May-be offered influenza (flu) vaccination. According to ACOG, flu vaccination is an essential part of prenatal care that provides protection to both women and their babies. ACOG also supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that all adolescents and adults be vaccinated against the flu.

According to the CDC, roughly one-fifth of the US population is infected with the flu virus each year. Having the flu can lead to serious complications and death. Annually, an estimated 200,000 people require hospitalization and approximately 36,000 die from flu-related illness.

The flu vaccine is indicated for all adolescents and adults. Special high-risk populations should make sure to be vaccinated every year. These include pregnant women, people older than 50 and younger than 5; people of any age who have asthma, heart disease, a weakened immune system, or other chronic illnesses, and their caregivers; and health care workers.

Pregnant women are particularly susceptible to serious illness associated with the flu, and treating the flu can be risky. "The antiretroviral drugs commonly prescribed to combat the flu have not been tested for safety and efficacy in pregnancy, and their effects on the fetus are unknown. Pregnant women who are using these drugs should do so with caution. Your best bet is to avoid the flu altogether, and vaccination can help you do that," says Sarah J. Kilpatrick, MD, chair of ACOG's Committee on Obstetric Practice. "Additionally, flu vaccination during pregnancy allows the woman and the fetus to develop flu-fighting antibodies, especially important because infants from 0 to 6 months cannot be vaccinated," she adds.

Flu season usually peaks around February. Getting vaccinated early-in October or November-is ideal, but women can receive the vaccine throughout the flu season as long as supplies last. Women may be vaccinated throughout pregnancy with the inactivated vaccine (flu shot). The flu shot is also safe for breastfeeding women. Pregnant women should not use the intranasal vaccine, which is inhaled instead of injected. It is only FDA-approved for use in non-pregnant individuals ages 2-49.

The 2007-08 supplies of the flu vaccine are expected to be abundant, with as many as 132 million doses available by January. However, experts warn that not enough people are getting vaccinated, including many individuals at high risk for contracting the flu. "The CDC estimates that nearly 18 million flu shots were not used and had to be discarded last year," Dr. Kilpatrick notes. "This is a tremendous lost opportunity because the fewer people that come down with the flu, the fewer there are that can spread the flu."

ACOG urges pregnant and nonpregnant women to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The American Lung Association's "Flu Clinic Locator" can help women find facilities that are administering flu shots. Go here.

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