We are now offering both the H1N1 and Season Flu vaccines to our pregnant patients.  If you are pregnant, you can get these shots at your next regularly scheduled OB visit, by scheduling an injection-only appointment or by attending one of our Flu Clinics.  They will be held between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on the following days: Meridian Mark Office: November 12 and 19; Alpharetta Office:November 10 and 17.  On Flu Clinic days no appointment is necessary; just show up and we’ll give you the shot.

Starting November 5, we are offering the H1N1 vaccine to our pregnant patients.  If you are pregnant, you can get this shot at your next regularly scheduled OB visit, by scheduling an injection-only appointment or by attending one of our H1N1 Flu Clinics.  They will be held between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on the following days: Meridian Mark Office: November 12 and 19; Alpharetta Office:November 10 and 17.  On Flu Clinic days no appointment is necessary; just show up and we’ll give you the shot.

Due to the anticipated demand from patients who are not pregnant, we have asked for additional vaccine supplies. When we receive the additional supply we will offer the vaccine to all patients and to the spouses of pregnant patients.  Please watch our blog or Facebook Fanpage for future announcements.

Infants are thought to be at higher risk for severe illness from 2009 H1N1 infection and very little is known about prevention of 2009 H1N1 flu infection in infants. If you are breastfeeding or giving your baby infant formula, a cautious approach would be to protect your baby from exposure to the flu virus in the following ways:

·         Ask for help from someone who is not sick to feed and care for your baby, if possible.

·         If there is no one else who can take care of your baby while you are sick, try to wear a face mask at all times when you are feeding or caring for your baby. You should also be very careful about washing your hands and taking everyday precautions to prevent your baby from getting flu. Using a cloth blanket between you and your baby during feedings might also help.

·         If you are breastfeeding, someone who is not sick can give your baby your expressed milk. Ideally babies less than about 6 months of age should get their feedings from breast milk. It is OK to take medicines to treat the flu while you are breastfeeding.

Our shipment of seasonal flu vaccine has been delayed. As a result, we are delaying the start of our vaccination program.  We anticipate receiving our supply in the next couple of weeks, (although a November arrival date is a possibility).  Once we have a sufficient supply, we will begin offering flu vaccine shots to our pregnant patients.  You will be offered a flu shot when you come in for a regular OB appointment.  We’ll also be offering several flu clinic days at each office. You won’t need an appoinment on these days; just show up and we’ll give you a shot (if you are one of our pregnant patients).  We’ll provide more details in the coming days. We also anticipate offering the H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccine. Once we receive notification that we will be receiving a supply, we will let you know.

As the media blitz continues regarding the H1N1 influenza virus, otherwise known as the swine flu, I continue to receive questions from patients  anxious to take the appropriate steps to prevent or treat  the flu.  We at Atlanta Women’s Specialists understand these fears, and have taken steps to help give you the most up to date information possible and to aid you in disease treatment and prevention.  Please browse through the information that is listed under our  Health Topics  section regarding the H1N1 Flu.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also has continually evolving information that is listed on their website at www.cdc.gov or you can check at www.flu.gov.  The information is extremely helpful and answers most questions that  my patients have been asking.  If you have further questions, or would prefer to talk about this in more detail, feel free to inquire through our office or discuss with your physician at your next appointment.

As a large number of our patients are pregnant, and therefore have been classified as a “high risk population” by the Centers for Disease Control, I would like to give some answers to the most commonly asked questions that I receive.  Again, I believe that you will find these answers supported by the information provided by the CDC.

What should I do to prevent the flu?  Pregnant women are considered a high risk population.  Secondary to some of the underlying physical changes that happen with pregnancy, pregnant women have been shown to have a more difficult time in handling the flu.  For that reason, it becomes of ultimate importance to try and prevent infection with either of the seasonal flu or the H1N1 Flu.  To that end, practicing the appropriate techniques of hand washing, hand sanitizer, coughing into your sleeve and avoidance of others suspected of being ill is our first line of defense.  

Should I be vaccinated against the flu?   Vaccinations for both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu are extremely important.  The seasonal flu vaccine has been considered crucial for pregnant women for many years.  Now, the recommendation naturally extends out to the H1N1 flu.  Although this is a “new” vaccine, it is constructed along the same lines that the seasonal flu has been previously.  They have just included the new H1N1 virus strain into the same type of transport media as the seasonal flu.  My patients have been extremely concerned regarding its safety with pregnancy.  However, it is considered more dangerous to actually contract the flu while pregnant, than the theoretical risk of the vaccine.  Also, this vaccine, like the seasonal flu vaccine, is a killed virus and therefore there is not a risk of “catching the flu” from the vaccine itself.  As for the timing of the vaccine,  it will be possible to get both vaccines on the same day.  However, we do recommend that you get the flu vaccine as soon as possible, and then get the H1N1 vaccine once it is available (currently scheduled for release in mid October).

What do I  do if I am  exposed to someone who is diagnosed with the flu?   The current recommendations are to start antiviral medications as soon as you are informed of the exposure and take a once-daily dose for 10 days to help prevent developement of the flu.  We would ask, as the CDC recommends, that you call the office for a prescription.  We will then forward this to your pharmacy without requiring a visit in the office.  Again, the antiviral medications are a category C medication which means that there are no human studies that have been done on pregnant women.  However, as stated previously, the limited information on animal studies that have been done, show no effects to offspring.  Although this information is limited, the risk of the disease is still considered much more significant than any risk from the medication.

What happens if I develop signs or symptoms of the flu?   Again, as per the CDC, please notify our office with these symptoms so that we may direct the next appropriate steps.  It is recommended that we NOT have patients come into the office for confirmation of infection, but rather start a twice daily medication regimen for 5 days.  As this infection has been shown to spread easily, the authorities have recommended that we keep people out of the physicians offices to try and prevent further transmission.  However, if anyone develops symptoms of  significant shortness of breath or signs of respiratory compromise, they will be directed to the hospital for further evaluation so that they can be treated most effectively and quickly. 

What should I do if I become ill  and am breastfeeding?  The current recommendations are to continue breast feeding, but try to avoid coughing or breathing directly on the baby.  If you become too sick to nurse yourself, it is recommended to continue with pumping and then have the breast milk fed by bottle by another family member.

These are just a few of the questions that I have received recently.  This is by no means an exhaustive list.  I am sure that there are more questions that will arise.  Please feel free to contact us for more information.   We will continue to follow the ever-evolving information, and will attempt to forward this to you as we receive it.

Take care, and remember….wash your hands!!!

Michael A. Dawson, MD

Everywhere I turn, I am hearing more and more information regarding the recent outbreak of swine flu. I have heard “official” reports on television, radio, and podcast on the internet. I have also heard some “unofficial” (also known as questionable or highly suspect) information being passed in the day-to-day banter of my daily haunts… the coffee shop, grocery store and the gym. As sensational as some of these “unofficial” accounts have been, I decided to do a little research to calm myself and get the real word out. So this is what I know….

The CDC has confirmed 91 cases of Swine flu in the US with one confirmed death.

The flu vaccine that was given this year does NOT prevent infection with the swine flu.

This is a virus that has been shown to be transmitted from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. It is thought that it may be transmitted, also, through touching things that have the virus on it and then rubbing the nose and the mouth.

There are two antiviral medications that do appear to be effective against this strain of the flu, but need to be started as quickly as possible. They are most effective if started within 2 days of onset of symptoms.

The signs and symptoms of the swine flu are typical to those of the more traditional flu such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

The best way to avoid contracting the flu is to make sure that you wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or hand sanitizer, and avoid people that are known to be ill.

As with overall health, making sure that you get plenty of rest and avoiding stress as much as possible (if you guys figure out a way to do that… please let me know), is always key.

If you do become ill, please contact your primary care physician’s office as soon as possible for advice on the best way to proceed. They may have special procedures in place to help limit exposure to other patients. Also, the CDC does recommend that you isolate yourself as much as possible from work and close contacts until after this has been evaluated by the physician.  One other thing… as your mother would prompt you, always cover your mouth with a kleenex when coughing or sneezing and then promptly discard the tissue.

Okay… so that is all I have for now. I have contacted the CDC regarding some pregnancy and nursing information, and am awaiting more information. I will pass this along, when I receive it. 

For up to date information from the Centers for Disease Control go to www.cdc.gov

WASH THOSE HANDS!!!!

Michael Dawson, M.D.