I'm in my second trimester and my doctor recommended I get the flu shot before winter starts. Some friends tell me it's not safe during pregnancy, but others say it's the best thing to do. Is the vaccine really safe at this stage?
According to health organizations, the flu vaccine is safe during pregnancy in any trimester, including the second one you're in. The vaccine used for pregnant women is the inactivated virus version (not the live virus one), which makes it safe for you and also protects your baby after birth because you pass the antibodies to them. Your doctor is right in recommending it before winter, so trust her judgment more than what your friends say without medical sources. Have you had other vaccines during pregnancy already, or is this the first one they're recommending?
Your doctor is telling you the right thing. The flu vaccine that's given during pregnancy (the injected version, not the nasal spray) has been studied extensively, and health authorities in practically every country recommend it without issue at any trimester. The thing is, there's a lot of myth around it, but if it were risky, health authorities wouldn't be actively promoting it for pregnant women. The second trimester is actually a perfect time to get it.
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