A local physician who specializes in maternal and fetal medicine is urging pregnant women to get both the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines this year. KSMU's Michele Skalicky has more...
Dr. Patricia Dix says flu is a much worse disease when you’re pregnant. She says pregnant women are more likely to get pneumonia and have to be on a ventilator. The fatality risk is also greater.According to Dix, during the outbreak of H1N1 in the U.S. this past spring, six percent of deaths associated with the disease were in pregnant women yet only one percent of the total population was pregnant. She says that shows how much more susceptible they are.Dr. Dix also encourages everyone in a pregnant women’s household to get their flu vaccinations. She says that will not only protect those who receive the shot but also the newborn babies since they can’t receive vaccines before six months of age.
