Flu Shots During Pregnancy: Insufficient Data to Inform Vaccine-Associated Risk
Back when I was pregnant with my younger son, I asked for a flu shot. I’ll never forget that day. I was about four months pregnant and going in for a check-up with my OB. Looking haggard and desperate, I had just left the hospital where Ronan had recently been admitted. Once in the exam room, I told the nurse that I only had a few minutes for the appointment because I needed to get back to the hospital.
I don’t remember the entire conversations, but I do know that I shared that, “Ronan’s sick…the croup…terrible cough…several breathing treatments…also has the flu…yes, had the flu shot, too…so strange! I don’t want to get sick or jeopardize my baby (in utero)…do you have flu shots here for me?” Sympathizing with me, she said she was sorry but that I was out of luck. They didn’t have any. Citing a state-wide shortage, they’d run out only days before. The nurse suggested I call my primary physician but warned me that local doctors had exhausted their supplies also. Those who had any left were offering the shot only to children or the elderly. They were top priority. I was flabbergasted.
What about me?!
I walked out of that office so worried. The flu! It’s awful! It’s only going to get worse! Get the shot – it’s the only thing that’ll save you! The news was selling more fear than facts that year and would continue to do so until the end of the annual flu shot season. Tired, pregnant, and feeling lost, those next few weeks were not an easy time for me. But knowing our family’s medical history now, I can only imagine how damaging that flu shot could’ve been for Ronan’s younger brother.
Back then while pregnant with my second son, I thought I was doing me and my baby a favor by confidently asked for flu shot. Since I couldn’t and didn’t ever get one, I know that I escaped the risk that comes with it. Some women today don’t escape that. These days, they don’t have to ask for a shot like I thought to. They’re being told to get it. Some do and possibly without realizing that what they’re being told doesn’t match up with what’s in the vaccine inserts:
Safety and effectiveness of FLUARIX have not been established in pregnant women or nursing mothers.
There are insufficient data on FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT in pregnant women to inform vaccine associated risks.
There are 0 for AFLURIA in pregnant women to inform vaccine-associated risks in pregnancy.
It is not known whether AFLURIA is excreted in human milk. Data are not available to assess the effects of AFLURIA on the breastfed infant or on milk production/excretion.
Safety and effectiveness of Fluzone Quadrivalent Southern Hemisphere have not been established in pregnant women or children less than 6 months of age.
Safety and effectiveness of FluMist Quadrivalent have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers, geriatric adults, or children less than 2 years of age.
If that’s all true, how’d this story make the rounds last week? It’s saying something different – that the flu shot protects women and their babies. It doesn’t do that just during the pregnancy but after pregnancy, too.
After reading that news story that sounded more like a vaccine advertisement this week, I just sat and shook my head. How can they say that the flu shot is safe and effective for pregnant (and nursing mothers) when the literature from the government agency that approves vaccines says otherwise? How confusing! More confusing is that other vaccine package inserts, like the Tdap, also include that recurring insufficient data statement. Pushed heavily on pregnant women – and on family members wishing to hold the baby, the data about pregnancy and vaccines doesn’t seem to add up. So, just like last week when the flu stats didn’t add up, I had to keep reading.
I went back and looked at more news stories about vaccines and pregnancy and also reread some of the flu shot package inserts. Another one made clear that Available data on Flublok Quadrivalent and Flublok (trivalent formulation) administered to pregnant women are insufficient to inform vaccine-associated risks in pregnant women, but it was this section from that approved and recommended 2018-19 flu shot that caught my eye:
Pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to Flublok Quadrivalent during pregnancy are being monitored.
Wait a minute. What about that bold statement the CDC made in that news story that: Flu shots have been given to millions of pregnant women over many years with a good safety record. If so many women are fine, and if so many years of data have supposedly been established, what are they monitoring and why? And when will the rest of us find out about it? When enough women have some sort of reaction – either good or bad? If bad, are they talking about the miscarriages that were reported post flu vaccine a few years ago?
From the CDC’s Flu Vaccine and Safety page: …a recent study showed that women in early pregnancy who received two consecutive annual flu shots during 2010-11 and 2011-12, did have an increased risk of miscarriage in the 28 days after receiving the second vaccine…
My mind was spinning. Which manufactures made those shots? Were those lots recalled? Did officials pull existing supply from distribution? Have the women been consoled and offered any counseling on vaccine safety and choice for the future? Did they know to say no the next time they were offered a shot? Were they able to carry to term in later pregnancies?
Once again, after reading, I had more questions than when I began reading. But I had to keep reading. So I kept the Floblok insert page open and came across this under a section titled Patient Counseling Information: Encourage women who receive Flublok or Flublok Quadrivalent while pregnant to notify Sanofi Pasteur Inc., by calling 1-800-822-2463. Instruct the vaccine recipient that annual vaccination to prevent influenza is recommended.
To me monitoring includes the gathering of data. People gather data while running experiments. If the manufacture of the vaccine and their affiliates are monitoring today’s patients, does that mean pregnant women who receive the flu shot are part of an on-going experiment? After reading that section again, I’d have to say they absolutely could be. I haven’t gone any further with that information, but future mamas, does that not raise the hair on the back of your neck? It does mine. It absolutely does.
The FDA repeats over and over again in those flu shot inserts that All pregnancies have a risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. But so do their vaccines have risks. And that’s not according to me; that’s according to them and the CDC!
It doesn’t seem possible that anyone could push something risky, like a vaccine, on an already potentially high-risk population. But they do. So what can women do?
Read.
Ask questions.
Be cautious.
Read more.
I didn’t know to do all of that when I was pregnant with Ronan’s little brother. But I have learned so much since then. Something else I have done since then is thanked God many times that my doctor did not have any shots .
day! I really don’t think getting the shot then would have resulted in a positive outcome. Later, and only after my boys’ vaccine injuries occurred, did I start to think differently about vaccines. That’s when I went from being 100% pro-vaccine to somewhat vaccine cautious to advocating for informed choice and for vaccine choice. It took a few years to make those changes. It took a lot or reading, asking, and reading some more. It took one more thing, too. I also started to trust myself more than I ever thought to before.
I know that if something sounds fishy, it’s probably fishy. With what I’ve read, something sounds fishy with this big vaccines during pregnancy push. I don’t like it, and personally, I don’t trust it. My research says no. My gut says no. That maternal instinct. I know that it’s there for a reason. If I’ve learned anything along the way, I have learned to trust it. If I could offer one small piece of advice to other mamas out there who are beginning to question and read about vaccines, it’s to use your instinct. Use it, and never let anyone take it away from you.
Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.
DEJA VU ? no - this spin this rollox every year - year after year - and the general public doesn't seem to notice .... perhaps its because of the mercury that they don't ?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/flu-vaccine-health-canada-1.4865403
Last year's flu vaccine wasn't very effective. This year's looks more promising
Health officials believe they have a better vaccine match for this year's expected flu strains
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Competition Time : A free CDC "honesty" Tshirt to any AoA reader who can tell me for who many consecutive years running the lamestream has run this exact same story ?
The T shirt is safe and effective to be laundered or dry cleaned. But please don't read the label !
Posted by: Hans Litten | October 19, 2018 at 07:53 AM
Nurses have know all along (just like the Doctors) & only speak out when they are put in the firing line ...........Pathetic
https://www.ona.org/news-posts/ona-wins-vaccinate-or-mask-flu-policy/
ONA Wins Second Decision on “Unreasonable and Illogical” Vaccinate or Mask Influenza Policies
September 7, 2018
The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) has won a second decision on the controversial vaccinate or mask (VOM) policy, striking down the policy in effect at St. Michael’s Hospital and several other hospitals that form the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN). These policies force nurses and other health-care workers to wear an unfitted surgical mask for the entirety of their shift if they choose not to receive the influenza vaccine.
After reviewing extensive expert evidence submitted by both ONA and St. Michael’s Hospital, which was the lead case for the TAHSN group, Arbitrator William Kaplan, in his September 6 decision, found that St. Michael’s VOM policy is “illogical and makes no sense” and “is the exact opposite of being reasonable.” In reaching this conclusion, Arbitrator Kaplan rejected the hospital’s evidence. A copy of the full decision is available here.
The TAHSN group involved in the arbitration also includes Sinai Health System, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, North York General Hospital, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Michael Garron Hospital and Baycrest Health Sciences. Other TAHSN hospitals did not have VOM policies in place.
Posted by: Hans Litten | October 19, 2018 at 07:33 AM
The lamestream in all its glory.
https://www.thisisinsider.com/should-pregnant-women-get-flu-shot-study-vaccine-miscarriage-2017-9
There may be a link between the flu shot and miscarriage — but pregnant women should still get the vaccine !
Remember: It takes a lot more than a single study to upend existing recommendations. That's how science works. Every new finding needs to be looked at in the context of all the evidence that came before it. And, as of now, the evidence overwhelmingly shows that pregnant women should still get the flu shot.
Posted by: Hans Litten | October 17, 2018 at 04:33 AM
https://www.facebook.com/thepeopleschannel/videos/566341063822509/
About 45 minutes in (1:06:30 remaining), Kristen Chevrier reads articles on the flu shot, one how the flu shot takes two weeks to kick in, another how the flu shot begins to wane after after 28 days (after the vaccination, I guess meaning a 2-week window of peak "efficacy"), and she passes along a heads-up that Medicare will be requiring 2 shots during "flu season."
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | October 15, 2018 at 08:54 PM
False scientists,
Yes, and the BBC reported that the CDC no less had advised that pregnant women should try to avoid going to countries where zika virus is found, but if they have to they should take medical advice on how to avoid mozzie bites. No mention of vaccination! One piece of advice for them, and another for us!
Posted by: Grace Green | October 15, 2018 at 02:47 PM
Hans I get most of my optimism from everyone on AOA .
As for Offit turning a new leaf not even JDS writing the script would convince me...Offit whats he gonna be Offits Optimal Health Pharmacy -Sweeny Todd more like.
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | October 15, 2018 at 02:35 PM
https://www.ukcolumn.org/ukcolumn-news/uk-column-news-15th-october-2018
Interesting 12 minutes on UK Column today, discussing flu vaccine push/stats in UK. From 12.58 min to 24.23 min.
So much information available now that governments/pharma do not want the public to know about.
Posted by: Susan Welch | October 15, 2018 at 01:14 PM
I have to say, Cathy, I'm very grateful there was a vaccine shortage that year as I'm reading this.
I've been listening to the One Conversation livestreams and Dr. Tenpenny said that prior to this push for vaccines in pregnancy there was much discussion (I'm not sure in what group(s)...ACIP or something) about the need to give OB/GYNs liability protection or they would never get on board, but they had no problem getting on board with flu and aP vaccines (maybe the NVICP covers these since they're on the childhood schedule, or?)...I'm also remembering somewhat aside someone else relaying hearing a conversation between OB/GYNs very excited about the new Gardasil vaccine for teens as a financial boon to their practices, so maybe much of the medical system waits in anticipations for the hundreds of new "vaccines" in the works.
But what does that say about these people aiming to promote vaccines in pregnancy? And they didn't have any evidence of efficacy in the data at the time they pushed flu vaccine in pregnancy, but they did expect apparently there would be harm. And we know maternal immune activation is linked to neurological disorders in the infant, but, hey, let's activate the mother's immune system artificially (who knows for how long, maybe chronically) against a few of a myriad of flu-like illness provoking microbes that may activate the mother's immune system naturally.
Also, some unquestioning and compliant young mothers may come out of their child bearing years unable to respond "effectively" any more to the tetanus vaccine with a tdap in every pregnancy... meanwhile many OB/GYNs are telling mothers every relative that may see the baby has to have a the same vaccine (even though it might promote symptom free whooping cough transmission...).
There's no evidence that ethics operates, no evidence that science really does either IMO, unless invoking harm and/or involuntary alteration of the species is the "scientific" aim.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | October 15, 2018 at 12:13 PM
Haha, MeAgain Markle (who just announced her pregnancy at Eugenie’s wedding) is visiting a ‘Zika’ area. Pregnant! Could it be that she has inside information that told her it’s not a virus st all but pesticides which have played a role?
Posted by: False scientists | October 15, 2018 at 10:16 AM
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-10-14/scientists-freaking-out-over-pandemic-potential-genetically-engineered-smallpox
Scientists Freak Out Over Pandemic Potential Of Genetically Engineered Smallpox
Following the release of a paper earlier this year which describes how researchers stitched together segments of DNA in order to revive horsepox - a previously eradicated virus, scientists have been flipping out over the possibility that bad actors may use the study as a blueprint to revive smallpox.
The disease killed an estimated 300 million people before the World Health Organization deemed it eradicated following a long vaccination campaign. Thus, the publication of a method for reviving a closely related disease has understandably raised some red flags within the scientific community, reports futurism.com.
Posted by: Hans Litten | October 15, 2018 at 08:55 AM
Posted by: John Stone | October 15, 2018 at 05:01 AM
I see them all planning their exit strategies from the greatest crime in all history.
I want Angus to be more optimistic about our chances (after all he is one of the originals !)
haha
Posted by: Hans Litten | October 15, 2018 at 05:57 AM
Hans I see it as you do more so now than in the past where I thought years ago that we had them-gotcha! never happened.
I take great pleasure in reading and watching videos on You Tube about Arminius.
We need our Arminius to step out from within Pharma and save the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arminius
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | October 15, 2018 at 05:20 AM
Hans
The landscape is certainly shifting but the lobby is still very powerful - the general move is of course to shut down the web so citizens can’t argue back anymore. We do not know the exact context of Offit’s latest wisdom but it is likely only to momentarily conciliatory.
Posted by: John Stone | October 15, 2018 at 05:01 AM
Great article. It is so easy to doubt your intuition when faced with medical decisions/pressure. I personally think the push to give pregnant women flu shots is scandalous and deeply reckless.
Posted by: Someone | October 15, 2018 at 03:28 AM
Posted by: Angus Files | October 14, 2018 at 10:28 AM
Angus & JDS - do you see what i mean ! We have them turning and fearing for their own futures and that of their own families . Goldacre is worried - he knows he was wrong. Offit is scared.
Offit knows the game is up, our science has passed his lies by and its only a matter of time before we overrun them . Plotless and Orenstem have got away with mass murder their whole lives.
I can write these things in the full knowledge the science is with me and they have no defence .
Offit is looking for his own exit plan (but south america will not save him 1939-45)
Gerberding Boil and all of them are terrified - I can feel it .
I see people who previously resisted anti vax information now posting anti-vax news .
The vaccine inserts are our greatest weapon. The seniors are finally listening about the flu vax.
Posted by: Hans Litten | October 15, 2018 at 12:11 AM
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Dr. Paul Offit, an award-winning expert on vaccines, immunology and virology and co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine credited with saving hundreds of lives every day, will appear at a National Press Club Headliners Book Rap on Monday, October 29, to discuss his latest book: “Bad Advice: Or Why Celebrities, Politicians and Activists Aren’t Your Best Source of Health Information.”
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/best-selling-author-and-vaccine-expert-dr-paul-offit-to-discuss-his-latest-book-and-the-fight-against-science-deniers-anti-vaxxers-and-alternative-facts-at-national-press-club-headliners-event-1027592039
This event will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Club’s Conference Rooms, and will feature a discussion with the author, an audience question-and-answer session, and a book signing. Tickets are $5 for National Press Club members and $10 for the general public. When purchasing tickets for this event online, buyers will also have the option of purchasing copies of the book at check-out. To purchase tickets and copies of the book, please click here.
Posted by: Hans Litten | October 15, 2018 at 12:00 AM
This is how they get their data-After Market Studies. They count the numbers of dead fetuses. One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand...
Posted by: Shelley Tzorfas | October 14, 2018 at 05:57 PM
How about that they should never be given during pregnancy, or ever?
Posted by: Autism Investigated | October 14, 2018 at 02:48 PM
Offit coming out now, hes anti-vaccine (not quite) or maybe were not meant to remember what,he has said and done.We cant beat ourselves up to much as we were guided like lambs to the slaughter.
Here are some acknowledgements Dr. Offit finally admits to about vaccinations:
Vaccinations aren’t easy.
We ask a lot of our citizens to get as many as 26 inoculations in the first year of life.
Get 5 shots at one time.
It’s a violent act! [No truer words spoken, Dr. Offit, and thank you for admitting that.]
You’ve given this biological agent against their will. [Isn’t that medical malpractice and should be prosecuted by law, not “mandated”?]
The biological agent isn’t understood well by parents and not understood that well by the physician.
https://www.naturalblaze.com/2018/10/paul-offit-md-vaccine-authority-co-inventor-finally-levels-about-vaccinations-being-violent-acts.html?utm_source=Natural+Blaze+Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=a6a5c8e9d8-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_b73c66b129-a6a5c8e9d8-388264341
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | October 14, 2018 at 10:28 AM
Absolutetly Gary, we are nothing but guinea pigs for the experiments of the big Pharma. I heard once someone said "'They' come up with the vaccines before the illness shows up among people". It sounds very true to me. Big pharma tries its vaccines first, then they say "there is no evidence that links neorological damages to vaccines", etc., etc.
Of course, they come up with the vaccines before the illness because in many cases the vaccines are the cause of some neurological damages that the brain suffers. Then they come up with new medications for the illnesses caused by the vaccines. Meds that have to be prescribed in order to keep the children's conduct under control. It's a vicious cycle. The number of children on medication for ADHD has soared to 3.5 million from 600,000 in 1990. This is now acknowledge as “a national disaster of dangerous proportions," Dr. Conners has said. “The numbers make it look like an epidemic. Well, it’s not. It’s preposterous,” he emphisized.
Posted by: Luis | October 14, 2018 at 10:24 AM
An experiment, indeed. Throughout the world we are all guinea pigs in a mass experiment in profit making through poisoning. Complete with mass propaganda from NBC and all the rest of them. I'm about finished with "HPV Vaccine on Trial." No need to go to the movies; this is a horror show to end all horror shows. All the clinical trials were fraudulent. The FDA was perfectly happy with them.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | October 14, 2018 at 08:58 AM