I’m pregnant - Can I get the flu vaccine?
Congratulations on your pregnancy. The flu season lasts from October to the end of April in the Northern hemisphere and it can be serious, especially in young children and the elderly. Flu is highly infectious and the symptoms can come on very suddenly.
These include fever, headache, a sore throat and muscle aches.
A person who has the virus can spread the flu for one to two days before they develop symptoms and for three to five days after they develop symptoms.
Not only can you catch the flu from person-to-person contact but through touching surfaces such as door handles and keyboards where the virus has been deposited.
Every year the flu virus changes and each winter a different strain of the virus causes outbreaks of flu, so the vaccine also has to change.
This is the reason that a new flu vaccine is given each year, ideally as early as September-October.
The vaccine mimics the real flu, so that your immune system produces antibodies to the flu virus; this happens 10-14 days after receiving the vaccine.
Then if you come into contact with the real virus, the antibodies will be ready and will attack the virus immediately.
Vaccination prevents flu in 70%-90% of people depending on their age and health status.
Vaccination is recommended for people who are particularly at risk and this includes pregnant women so that both you and your baby are protected.
Pregnant women are at increased risk of complications of the flu and it may also lead to a premature birth or a baby with a low birth weight.
I would advise you to make an appointment with your GP to discuss getting the vaccine.
My husband has had pain in his neck for the last four weeks; he also finds it difficult to turn his head to the left. He doesn’t recall injuring it. Would an anti-inflammatory help?
This must be very uncomfortable for your husband. This is a common complaint, with up to half the population experiencing neck pain at some time and majority are non-specific neck pain.
The reason for the pain is unclear but bad posture, stress, and sitting for prolonged periods at a computer keyboard are all potential reasons for the pain, due to muscular spasm.
At least two out of every three people will experience non-specific neck pain and most will make a full recovery.
Painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen and anti-inflammatory gels and creams may help to ease the pain.
As your husband has had the pain for four weeks, I would suggest that he makes an appointment with his GP, who can examine his neck and rule out any underlying condition.
In the meantime here are some general suggestions:
* Posture — If he sits at a desk for most of the day he needs to consider how he sits and to make sure he avoids bending his head and neck forward.
* An ergonomic assessment of his work station may be useful and can be arranged through his HR department.
* Use only one low, firm pillow in bed.
* Applying heat or cold such as a hot water bottle or frozen peas may help, but do not place either directly onto the neck.
* Try to reduce or avoid driving while the pain lasts.
General principles of treating the majority of mechanical-type neck pain are early mobilisation and manipulation.
Your husband’s GP will be able to advise on the appropriate management.
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