RMA of Connecticut fertility clinic staff are receiving many inquiries into the proper guidelines for both the flu shots and the H1N1 shots for pregnant women and/or those trying to conceive.  To  provide easy access to this information we have posted the guidelines here and on our fertility clinic homepage

Following are policy guidelines issued in a joint statement issued by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday, October 18, 2009:

Complications from influenza can cause serious illness and even death in pregnant women.  Pregnant women with 2009 H1Ni influenza have higher rates of hospitalization and death than the general population.  As a consequence, fertility clinics should encourage patients planning pregnancy to be vaccinated for both seasonal influenza and 2009 H1N1.  for now, certain areas may have 2009 H1N1 vaccine available only for those in the initial target groups (pregnant women, caregivers of infants < 6 months through 24 years, and people aged 25 through 64 with high risk medical conditions).  Thus, women who are planning a pregnancy may need to wait for a few weeks until more vaccine is available.

Women who become pregnant should receive the vaccine as soon as it is available.  Pregnant women and women anticipating planning pregnancy should also get the seasonal influenza vaccine.  Women who are pregnant should receive the inactivated vaccine (the flu shot), not the live vaccine (nasal spray).  Women who are planning a pregnancy, and have no pre-existing medical contraindications, can receive the live vaccine (nasal spray ) up to one month before conceiving, or the inactivated vaccine (the flu shot) at any time before conceiving.

A special area of CDC's website (http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/) is devoted to additional guidance or information about 2009 H1N1 influenza for clinicians, public health officials and health care consumers.  In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains a comprehensive series of materials and resources at www.flu.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta GA  30333, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) or TTY: (888) 232-6348
cdcinfo@cdc.gov