Benefits Of Getting The Flu Vaccine

It is recommended that you and your family get the flu shot this season

A medical research study, conducted in November 2020, at a university in the United States, found that those who received the flu shot had a lower risk for hospitalisation for severe COVID-19. The health records of over 2000 COVID-19 positive patients, of which 10% of the group had been vaccinated against the flu, were analysed for the study. Exact reasons for this are still unclear but researchers say that getting the flu shot stimulates the immune system, possibly making it react more quickly and rigorously to fight off COVID-19.

As a pregnant woman, you won’t be offered the COVID-19 vaccine. The country’s national guidelines recommend it not be given to expectant moms as its use in pregnancy has not been comprehensively tested. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that the influenza (flu) vaccine, usually administered in South Africa from March, is safe for pregnant women in any trimester.

Additional waves of COVID-19 are likely to coincide with the winter flu season, and while getting the flu vaccine won’t prevent or protect against COVID-19 disease, it will boost your body’s immune defences against the flu.

More on the Flu Vaccine

Flu vaccines are annual vaccines, so even if you did have your shot last year, you need to be vaccinated again. The flu vaccine changes annually according to what flu strains are expected to be more prevalent for that flu season and therefore another reason why you need to ensure you have a vaccine every year.

What are other benefits of getting the flu vaccine?

1. It will strengthen your immune system

Once you receive your flu vaccine, your immune system identifies the inactivated virus in the vaccine as an invader (antigen) and starts producing antibodies (specialised proteins) against it. Your immune system remembers this invader, so if you do contract the same or a similar virus in the near future, your immune system will know what to do and how to fight against it. While getting the flu vaccine doesn’t mean that you won’t get a cold or flu this season (there are many different strains of viruses), but it can protect you from getting seriously ill. You are also more likely to recover quicker. Getting flu also weakens the immune system, making you more vulnerable to other infections.

2. It can help to prevent complications

Contracting flu while you are pregnant puts you at added risk for more severe illness. When you are pregnant, your immune system, lungs and heart go through changes and these can lead to more severe illness with the flu, and an increased risk for hospitalisation and complications like pneumonia.
In 2018, an international study found that over the course of six flu seasons, the flu shot reduced a pregnant woman’s risk for hospitalisation by an average of 40%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with public health agencies in four countries and medical records from over two million pregnant women were analysed.

Contracting flu during pregnancy can also cause potential problems for your developing baby. A high fever early in pregnancy increases the risk for birth defects. Moms who contract the flu also have an increased risk for preterm labour and premature birth.

3. It provides protective antibodies for your baby

Getting the flu shot during pregnancy provides your baby with protective antibodies through your placenta in pregnancy and after the birth through your breast milk if you breastfeed. Babies are also at risk for complications with flu, but your antibodies will provide protection for at least six months. Thereafter, baby can receive the flu vaccine.

Where to Get Your Shot

Have your flu vaccine at your healthcare provider or a local pharmacy clinic. Find out if your medical aid offer influenza screening as part of your preventative screening benefits.

After your baby’s birth, you will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine when you become eligible for it, based on the country’s role out strategy. Currently, there is limited data available on the safety of the vaccine for breastfeeding moms, but no evidence to suggest that it should not be given.

Contact your healthcare provider for more information on the benefits of getting a flu vaccine and how you can schedule an appointment.

Resources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/; https://www.whattoexpect.com/; https://www.cdc.gov/; https://www.who.int/; https://www.rcog.org.uk/; https://www.cdc.gov/; https://www.marchofdimes.org/; https://messagesformothers.co.za/; https://www.nicd.ac.za/; https://www.webmd.com/