Infertility-H1N1 Vaccine - Pregnancy

While undergoing fertility treatments may not increase your risk for getting the flu, there is a growing amount of electronic chatter concerning whether or not the flu vaccine can increase your risk of infertility now or in the future.

That chatter recently grew quite loud when a Middle Eastern television network aired a stunning interview with Harvard-trained medical investigator and best selling American author Dr. Leonard Horowitz. Here, Horowitz asserted that vaccines in general, but specifically H1N1 is not only dangerous but , in fact, part of a global conspiracy involving drug companies, governments and even top business moguls, to reduce world population - in part by causing infertility.

As compelling as the interview was, so far, Horowitz has failed to back up his claims with any solid medical research – and that's a fact that Saudi health officials are desperately trying to make known as the vaccine becomes available to its citizens. Dr. Salman, Assistant, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and supervisor of the university hospitals in King Saud University, said recently in an interview with Arab television networks that the vaccine is “not new and dates back to many years been tested a lot of people for years”

Indicating confidence in the vaccine to protect rather than harm, he added that health officials have become accustomed to this kind of doubt whenever a new drug hits the market. He is reported to have stressed that studies show the vaccine is safe – an opinion that is echoed by world health leaders, including those in the United States.

Vaccine Safety & Pregnancy: What You Should Know

While most folks aren't buying into the conspiracy theories – and most medical experts completely dismiss them – it doesn't mean that the H1N1 vaccine is as safe as we would hope. Indeed, there are some recognized risks, particularly in regard to pregnancy, at least one of which is focused on a component known as thimerosal. A derivative of mercury, a heavy metal known to be a neurotoxin particularly damaging to young children, thimerosal it is used in the preparation of some versions of the H1N1 vaccine.

Currently the CDC says these mercury-containing vaccines are safe – even for pregnant women. That said, they also concede they have ordered a fair amount of mercury-free vaccines, including all of the nasal spray and mist forms and some pre-filled syringes.

So, would it be wise for pregnant women and those trying to conceive to seek out the thimerosal -free vaccines? Lauersen is among a growing number of fertility experts who say yes.

"We have no medical studies to show that a mercury-free vaccine will be any safer or any better for pregnant women or women undergoing fertility treatments, but we do know it is good common sense to avoid excessive mercury exposure during these vulnerable times, so if you can get a mercury-free vaccine that you probably should,” he says.

That said, he also cautions women not to automatically forgo the vaccine entirely if the mercury-free version is not available and talk to your doctor before deciding.

Rely on your your personal health history, your pregnancy/fertility history and your doctor to make a personal personal decision on whether this vaccine is right for you,” he says.

Indeed, even the CDC says personal choice is part of the vaccine decision picture. “ This is a voluntary program, we want people to be able to make informed choices about being vaccinated,” says Schuchat .

Other risks associated with the H1N1 vaccine include an increased risk in the sometimes fatal nerve inflammation known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Some reports claim the vaccine may also increase the risk of autism or make existing symptoms worse, though there is currently no solid medical evidence that this is true.