The seasonal flu vaccination campaign begins today. Pregnant women are among the priority people for vaccination. Because in the face of flu viruses, they are vulnerable. Risks exist both for them and for their future baby. We take stock.
[Mise à jour du 18 octobre à 17h18] The French authorities have just opened, this Tuesday, October 18, the campaign of flu vaccination. The most vulnerable people are given priority, and pregnant women are among them. They are encouraged to get vaccinated now. Because the virus flu is not safe for them. Indeed, the gestational state weakens future mothers, who do not have all their immunities to face such contamination. The virus can also harm the fetus. Each year, the flu is responsible for many hospitalizations resulting in premature births and even deaths. This is why the High Council for Public Health has recommended, since 2012, the routine vaccination for pregnant womenregardless of the trimester of pregnancy.
What percentage of pregnant women were vaccinated against the flu in 2021?
Last year, many pregnant women opted for the flu shot. Thus, according to the national perinatal survey carried out in March 2021 among 12,723 women, the vaccine was offered to 58.9% of women and 30.4% of them were vaccinated, a very large increase compared to to 2016, when this percentage was only 7.4%. The 2020-2021 vaccination campaign was however marked by an unusual demand for vaccination against influenza in general, in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic and at a time when the anti-Covid vaccine was not yet available. .
When should I get the flu shot?
Vaccination against influenza is possible from Tuesday, October 18, 2022, initially focused on people at risk. Pregnant women are therefore a priority, and can be vaccinated well before the onset of winter. Ideally, “It is recommended that expectant mothers get vaccinated in october, before the arrival of the epidemic, to prevent the serious respiratory complications that affect pregnant women more frequently. By getting vaccinated, they thus protect their newborns during the first months of life“specifies Véronique Houfflin-Debarge, gynecologist-obstetrician at the Jeanne de Flandre maternity hospital in Lille.
Where can pregnant women get the flu shot?
Pregnant women can get the flu shot from their midwife. Of course, doctors and nurses are also authorized to do so, as are pharmacists. On a voluntary basis, the latter are effectively able to vaccinate within their own pharmacy the people targeted by the vaccination recommendations. If you have received your health insurance voucher, you can pick up the vaccine on simple presentation of the voucher, or get vaccinated
Is the flu vaccine reimbursed during pregnancy?
To encourage future mothers to come and be vaccinated, the Health Insurance has developed a simplified vaccination circuit: Vaccination is free for pregnant women and therefore 100% covered by Health Insurance. The vaccine can be obtained from a pharmacy on simple presentation of the voucher provided by your doctor or midwife who can then proceed with your vaccination.
Flu in pregnant women: what are the risks?
According to health insurance, hospitalizations are up to 8 times more frequent among pregnant women than in a population of the same age, in particular due to the occurrence of respiratory and/or cardiac complications. This acute respiratory infection usually results in a strong tiredness and an intense fever (about 39°C), as well as a dry cough, aches and headaches. Pregnant women with a higher risk of bacterial infection are then particularly vulnerable. And especially in the face of risk of miscarriage. Therefore, they should not hesitate to consult their doctor or gynecologist if any of these symptoms occur, in order to limit the risk of complications during pregnancy. He will then be able to establish a diagnosis thanks to a nasal swab and offer antiviral treatment to the future mother according to her state of health.
Misconceptions about the flu vaccine
Some received ideas are a brake on the flu vaccination, has noted the Health Insurance for several years. Among the unfounded ideas, some people believe that the vaccine can be harmful for the mother and the baby. An opinion not shared by specialists. Contrary to what one might think, “the influenza vaccine is safe for mother and child”. “It is not associated with any risk of maternal disease, in utero growth retardation, miscarriage, fetal malformation, or disease of the child after birth,” defends the National Council of the Order of Midwives in its communicated. The vaccine even protects the child in the first months of his life.
Another received idea evokes the fact that the vaccine would give influenza to the vaccinated people. False information, because the vaccine is “made from inactivated viruses in order to stimulate the body’s immune response which can sometimes give a few brief symptoms caused by the production of antibodies against the disease. It is without adjuvant, says health insurance.
What to do in case of flu during pregnancy?
There’s no point in panicking. Nevertheless, it is important not to wait too long before consulting your doctor. Indeed, early treatment in the event of flu during pregnancy helps to limit respiratory complications and to treat pregnant women more effectively. This is particularly the case for treatment with Tamiflu, which is prescribed within 48 hours of the appearance of the first flu symptoms. In addition, the High Council for Public Health recommends that expectant mothers get vaccinated against the flu to prevent risks. The vaccine thus makes it possible to prolong the immunity of the pregnant woman while protecting the newborn until the age of six months.
In order to avoid the transmission of the disease, the Ministry of Health recalls some hygiene measures. Sick people are invited to limit contact with the most fragile, to cover their mouth and nose in case of sneezing or coughing and to blow their noses in single-use paper handkerchiefs. In case of pregnancy, it is recommended to avoid crowded areas during a flu epidemic and do not approach contagious people. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water (or failing that with a hydroalcoholic solution), and protect yourself with a surgical mask in the presence of other sick peoplemake it possible in particular to prevent the risk of transmission of the flu.