Pregnant? It`s Time for a Flu Shot, Says Miami OB-GYN Specialist

MIAMI--(Business Wire)--
Randy A. Fink, MD says pregnant women ought to be shot - with a flu vaccination
needle. "A flu shot offers double protection to both mother and baby," says Dr.
Fink, a Miami board certified specialist who was recently named one of
"America's Top Obstetrician/Gynecologists" by the Consumer Research Council.

While many women, particularly first-time mothers, are worried about getting a
flu shot while pregnant, Dr. Fink says vaccines offer important protection
against both seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu (sometimes called "swine flu").

"Pregnancy is considered a high-risk condition for women who are infected by the
H1N1 virus," says Dr. Fink. "A pregnant woman who comes down with any type of
flu has a greater chance for serious health problems."

Studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicate that pregnant
women are four times as likely as the general population to require
hospitalization for H1N1 flu. In addition, the death rate in pregnant women is
higher than expected when compared with the overall population.

"Fortunately, pregnant women who get a flu vaccination are less likely to catch
the flu than those who didn`t get a flu shot," says Dr. Fink. "Other studies
show that babies born to mothers who had a flu shot in pregnancy are also less
likely to come down with flu than babies whose mothers did not get a flu shot."

Dr. Fink notes that the new H1N1 vaccine has been approved by the Federal Drug
Administration (FDA) and is produced in the same fashion as regular seasonal flu
vaccine. "Over the years, seasonal flu vaccine has been given to millions of
pregnant women without difficulties," he says. "For pregnant women, the risk of
not getting a flu shot is much higher than any minimal risk of receiving the
vaccine."

Dr. Fink is medical director of the Miami Center of Excellence for Obstetrics &
Gynecology. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Family Planning
and

BabyCenter.com, and his research interests include fertility and contraception.

For more information: www.drrandyfink.yourmd.com.

For Dr. Randy A. Fink, Miami
Allison Moore, 941-961-3708
moore.pr@gmail.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009