According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), pregnant women should be one of the first groups of people in line for an H1N1 vaccine once it is produced. H1N1, formerly referred to as the Swine Flu, is a type of influenza that is quickly spreading across the United States and the world. The flu can be treated and cured in most cases, but pregnant women may be more susceptible to this strain of influenza, not to mention the unborn fetus.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, met in July to review past cases of pandemic flu and the effect on the human population. After their review, a list of priority patients was compiled and delivered to the CDC. With the flu season about to begin, the CDC is expected to use the list as a prioritizing agent for the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available.

Pregnant women are already advised to have the traditional flu shot each year in order to combat the influenza season. Other people that could benefit from the traditional flu vaccine include aging adults, infants and children and people with compromised immune systems. The H1N1 vaccine, however, is suggested for emergency service personnel, everyone aged six months to 24 years of age and all people over 25 who have a compromised immune system.

Source: Journal of the American Medical Association - September 2009