Flu season is here and you know what that means

It’s thats time of year again, winter is slowly setting in and it seems everyone has the sniffles or cough, so now is the time to get that flu shot.

In fact, federal health officials are warning pregnant women to not skip the flu shot this year. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, who advises federal health officials on immunization practices, says that people with underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, asthma, and diabetes could suffer severely if they get the flu.

Pregnant women often think that the flu shot would be harmful to them or their unborn baby, however, pregnant women are more susceptible to complications and hospitalization if they get the flu, even if they’ve had a healthy pregnancy.

“The vaccine is extremely safe. A recent study showing that immunization against flu reduces the risk of flu hospitalization among pregnant women by 40%,” says Dr. Alicia Fry, chief of the epidemiology and prevention branch of the CDC’s Influenza Division.