CHICAGO — For months, Rachel Aguayo, who is pregnant with
her first child, has been bombarded with messages urging her to be among the
first in line for the H1N1 flu vaccine.
But the decision about whether to get the shot is
particularly grueling for mothers-to-be, who must balance doctors’ orders
against a natural inclination to avoid any medication or other substance that
could jeopardize the health of their unborn child.
Many pregnant women get inoculated. But Aguayo, 26, made a
personal and potentially risky choice when she ignored her midwife’s advice and
opted for alternative, holistic ways to fend off the virus — acupuncture, yoga,
healthy eating and what she calls “obsessive” hand-washing.
“I personally don’t feel comfortable with the
vaccine,” said Aguayo. “Any decision I’m making with my body now
isn’t just for me anymore.”
Health professionals have constantly warned pregnant women
about the dangers they face if they contract the flu virus — premature labor,
miscarriages, landing in the hospital and even death. Most doctors advise that
inoculation is the only way to fully protect themselves and their children.
Still, some are searching for alternatives.
Herbs, yoga and other holistic methods have long been used
to help women conceive and to boost their immune system once they become
pregnant. Now, with pregnant women among the high-risk groups for serious
complications from the H1N1 virus, some are turning to those techniques in an
attempt to protect themselves from the swine flu.
Dr. Chun-Su Yuan, director of the Tang Center for Herbal
Medicine Research at the University of Chicago, said there is no clinical
evidence proving that herbs and other holistic methods can ward off swine flu.
It is possible, however, that some herbs may increase immune activity, he said.
“As a medical doctor, I would say the risks of the
swine flu vaccine are much less than the benefits, so people should get the
vaccine,” said Yuan. “But for people who have decided absolutely not
to take the vaccine or if they are allergic to it, looking at herbs and other
alternatives could be useful.”
Holistic workers said they have seen a spike in the number
of pregnant women who are seeking more natural ways to protect themselves
during the pandemic. The vaccine is a particularly hard sell to pregnant women
who had difficulty conceiving, according to Tami Quinn, owner of Pulling Down
the Moon, a holistic health center in Chicago.
“These women are nervous about everything, every cough,
every sneeze,” said Quinn. “They thought they would get married, move
to the suburbs and have their baby, and nothing has been easy. Now with H1N1,
they feel like, why me?”
Quinn said she does not make recommendations to women, but
she provides services to help them in whatever route they choose.
Medical doctors said there is nothing wrong with using such
methods to boost the immune system, but they warn that it is dangerous to rely
on holistic measures as the sole means of guarding against H1N1.
“We do see women who are apprehensive, but we tell them
that the complications of getting sick are very dangerous and the best way to
protect yourself is with the vaccine,” said Dr. Dayna Salasche, an
obstetrician-gynecologist at the Northwestern Specialists for Women, an
affiliate of Northwestern Hospital. “We counsel them, but ultimately it is
their decision.”
The majority of women, Salasche said, do end up following
their doctor’s advice. But even those who decide to get the vaccine can have
difficulty finding it. With the vaccine slowly making its way to obstetricians
and people waiting in line for hours at public clinics, some women have turned
to holistic methods until the vaccine becomes available.
Radhika Mathur, 31, of Chicago, said her immune system has
been compromised during her pregnancy and she suffers from frequent throat
infections. She said she is eager to get the vaccine, but it could be December
before her obstetrician gets it.
In the meantime, she said, she has been doing weekly
meditation sessions, yoga, acupuncture and Reiki, a stress-reducing technique.
“I’m scared to go out and take public transportation
without having that injection in me,” said Mathur, who is six months pregnant
with her first child. “Holistic stuff can help you de-stress and get your
body back on track. Combined with medicine, it can be very effective.”
Robert Wallace, owner of Chicago Holistic Medicine, said
about half of his clients will get the vaccine and half will not. He said he
does not encourage them one way or the other, but he provides information on
both sides of the issue.
“I’m careful not to set up competition that a Chinese
doctor is better than a Western doctor,” said Wallace, who offers acupuncture
and runs a full herbal pharmacy in his Chicago practice. “We need to work
together for the good of the patients. So we talk more about diet and
lifestyle.”
Though health officials have tried to convey to women that
the vaccine is safely produced the same way as seasonal flu vaccine, which is
backed by a long history of clinical trials, some pregnant women still have
lingering concerns that the vaccine could contain adjuvants such as squalene,
which enhance the effects of the vaccine, and thimerosal, a mercury derivative
used as a preservative.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the
H1N1 vaccine does not contain adjuvants. Health officials said there is no
evidence that thimerosal is harmful to pregnant women or their fetus, but the
H1N1 vaccine is available without the preservative for diehard doubters.
Still, Aguayo, a receptionist at Pulling Down the Moon, said
she prefers alternative methods, though she is troubled by reports that
pregnant women have died from H1N1.
“This is something I take very seriously and I think
about it almost every day,” she said. “It’s an internal battle, but
so far I have not been able to reconcile my fears about the vaccine.”
Via McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
