Q&A: Will the flu vaccine affect my infertility treatments?

No matter how you get pregnant—through infertility treatments or spontaneously—the consensus is that getting vaccinated is your best bet for you and your baby.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommends that all pregnant women get the flu vaccine. Flu shots are made from a "killed" virus and pose no health risk to you or your baby. However, you should not take the version of the vaccine that is administered via nasal spray. This vaccine is made from a weakened live virus. The side effects and danger of a pregnant woman coming down with the flu pose more of a health risk than getting vaccinated.

During pregnancy, a woman's immune system is weakened and more likely to be susceptible to the flu virus. Statistics tell us that a pregnant woman who gets the flu will be more likely to require hospitalization than a non-pregnant woman.

There was a time when women were advised to wait until the end of the first trimester to be vaccinated for fear of risk to a growing baby. In 2004, however, the CDC changed its recommendation to include all pregnant women, no matter what stage of pregnancy they are in.

Remember in the flu season to limit your exposure to anyone that is sick, follow good hand washing techniques, and get lots of rest.