The Ministry of Health: 650 thousand pregnant women to take the swine flu vaccine

More than 650 thousand pregnant women will take the vaccination against A/H1N1 virus, starting from next Tuesday, the Ministry of Health, Population and Hospitals Reform said on Sunday.  

• The ministry asserted that the quantities of anti-swine flu vaccine, available at the current time, is enough to vaccinate the health staff and over 650 thousand pregnant women, according to statistics by the health services across the country out of the total of 850 thousand pregnant women.
• According to specialists, Pregnancy weakens a woman’s immune system, so that she’s more likely to suffer pneumonia when she catches the swine flu. Pregnant women with asthma and some other health conditions are particularly at risk for complications.
• The ministry decided to vaccinate pregnant women during the second phase of the national program of vaccination because they are most vulnerable to the virus and complications, compared with the rest of the other categories.
• Health services registered 42 cases in pregnant women of the total 746 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths; as such rate is high and represents a significant seriousness.
• The Ministry of Health recommends the vaccination against swine flu for every pregnant woman in her 20th week of pregnancy, as recommended by the World Health Organization because the complications appear particularly between the second and third phase of pregnancy.
• As for the rest of pregnant women who did not exceed 20 weeks pregnancy and suffer from chronic diseases, they have to take the vaccination, and for the rest of those who are in good health, they are free to take it or not.
• With regard to the launching of the first phase of the vaccine for the health staff, the ministry acknowledged the “slowness” of the campaign and that it can not be assessed as long as it is continuing.      
• The seasonal flu shot has been given to millions of pregnant women over many years. Flu shots have not been shown to cause harm to pregnant women or their babies. The 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine is being made in the same way and at the same places where the seasonal flu vaccine is made.
• A lot of Algerian pregnant women refuse to take the swine flu shots; “I will not take the shot because it has unknown results or they are not 100% confirmed. It is my personal opinion and not a specialist’s one”. Nabila, a fifth months’ pregnant woman says.
• “My husband told me that it is dangerous, that’s why I refuse to take the shot”, Aicha, six weeks pregnant says.
• However, there are other pregnant woman who said that it is important to take the shot; “I must take the shot because it will protect me from swine flu and death. I’m obliged to take it as there are no other ways to avoid swine flu”, Lamia, two months pregnant says.