Update: H1N1 Information Posters and Vaccination

Dear Colleagues:

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is currently mailing out H1N1 information posters and tear sheets for use in your office during interactions with pregnant patients. The SOGC Executive Committee and Council have received and approved the recommendation that all pregnant women should be vaccinated.

Although there are current controversies in the media regarding the adjuvant and non-adjuvant vaccines, there is no safety issue in recommending either vaccine to patients. Given that the delivery of vaccine supplies is uncertain, the SOGC recommends that pregnant women be offered the first available vaccine and that we reassure patients that the adjuvant vaccine has the same safety profile as others.

Posters and Information Sheets
PHAC has produced an excellent brochure entitled H1N1 Preparedness Guide and we advise members to reproduce this in the office and to provide it to your pregnant patients.

In collaboration with PHAC, the SOGC has also produced an H1N1 and pregnancy poster as well as accompanying pad of tear sheets to be displayed and distributed in your offices. If you have not received these items by October 30th, please notify the SOGC office. These items can be viewed on our website at:

Poster: http://www.sogc.org/h1n1/pubH1N1PosterFinalEnglish091014.pdf
Tear Sheet: http://www.sogc.org/h1n1/FINALH1N1%20tearsheet_sept29.pdf

CME Clinical Presentation on H1N1 and Pregnancy
On the SOGC website, the H1N1 slide presentations have been posted. These can be used and modified for use at your hospital or group practice. Please use this information as you deem necessary.
English: http://sogc.org/h1n1/infohealthprofessionals_e.asp

News Release and Fact Sheet
On 22 October 2009, following PHAC’s announcement of the approval of the adjuvant H1N1 vaccine on 21 October, the SOGC issued a news release explaining the difference between and adjuvant and non-adjuvant H1N1 vaccine,  stating the Society’s position regarding the safety of the H1N1 vaccines for pregnant women, and urging pregnant women to receive the H1N1 vaccine. A fact sheet summarizing the key messages of the news release was also created. These documents can be accessed from the SOGC’s website.

Please ensure that all pregnant women, especially those in their third trimester, are offered a prescription of Tamiflu, 75mg twice daily for five days, with the proper instructions on when and how to use it. It will be important to document in your patient’s file usage of Tamiflu for surveillance purposes. Again, please advise patients that the anti-viral is not to be used as prophylaxis but only if the symptoms of H1N1 appear according to the tear-sheet listing. In addition, please advise patients not to report to the Emergency or to the labor and delivery area when having mild symptoms, but to instead take the prescribed medication.

Conclusion
Too much of an issue has been made about the adjuvant and non-adjuvant vaccines. Both vaccines are extremely safe and we need to advise our patients of this fact and encourage immediate vaccination for pregnant women.

The SOGC welcomes your comments and feedback on this most important issue.

Sincerely, 

 

Michel Fortier, M.D., FRSC(c)
President
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)