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Consumer Information | Clinicians and Public Health Professionals
Journalists and Media Professionals | Consumer and Volunteer Organizations

Reproductive Health and novel H1N1 Flu: CDC is concerned about women and their families when there are either threats from disease or disasters. This includes women who may be pregnant, who have recently been pregnant, may be trying to conceive, or who are considering reproductive health treatments.

Special health information on novel H1N1 flu is updated continually at CDC's novel H1N1 Flu Web site. Recent CDC health information releases include fact sheets for pregnant women who work in some community settings (e.g., schools, hospitals, clinics), women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who will be caretakers for the sick in their home. More information is being prepared, sometimes in several languages, to serve your needs.

We advise women to listen to local health authorities for information specific to your community. Your local media may also help by providing news via e-mails, text messaging, and other internet-based services.

Consumer Information

CDC maintains an information service for consumers. Call 1(800) CDC-INFO especially if your questions cannot be answered by a local health professional or public health official. Call volume may be extremely high during some times of the day. You can also e-mail cdcinfo@cdc.gov.

2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine and Pregnant Women NEW: September 1, 2009

Social media and networking tools for Consumers and Partners.

Ready for an Emergency? Use the Emergency Planning Tips If You're Pregnant or Have Young Children tool to help you prepare.

Need to know more about medical terms, drugs, procedures, or health topics? We recommend the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus Web site.

Clinicians and Public Health Professionals

Novel H1N1 Flu Guidance
Includes guidance for—

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women
• Health care workers and responders
• Testing and treatment

Pregnant Women Are More Severely Impacted by Novel H1N1 Influenza Virus and Need Prompt Treatment with Antiviral Medication NEW: July 30, 2009
A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of the 2009 novel H1N1 influenza outbreak shows that pregnant women who are otherwise healthy have been severely impacted by the novel H1N1 virus. Pregnant women infected with novel H1N1 had a higher rate of hospitalization than the general population and are at increased risk for pregnancy complications if infected with an influenza virus. Pregnant women with suspected or confirmed influenza infection need prompt treatment with antiviral medication. CDC has posted clinical guidance for treatment and prophylaxis of pregnant women with suspected or confirmed novel H1N1 2009 influenza. The study appears in the August issue of the British medical journal Lancet.*

Podcast: In pregnant women with suspected H1N1 treat promptly! A conversation with Denise Jamieson of the CDC.*

Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infections in Three Pregnant Women—United States, April—May 2009 Source: MMWR 2009:58(18);497–500 UPDATE: May 14, 2009
During seasonal influenza epidemics and previous pandemics, pregnant women have been at increased risk for complications related to influenza infection. As of May 10, 2009, a total of 20 cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection had been reported among pregnant women in the United States. This report describes three such cases and provides recommendations for treatment and chemoprophylaxis.

Interim transcript and audio file for May 1 Maternal and Child Health Issues Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity conference call
This is an audio recording and 36-page transcript of the May 1 conference call. Recommendations are as of May 1 and may be superseded by more recent information posted online. Topics discussed include recommendations for pregnant women, recommendations regarding children with special health care needs, considerations for breastfeeding mothers and infants and what is known about infant feeding decisions relating to treatment and prophylaxis (including discussion of control of transmission from infected mother/nursing mother to newborn child), childcare institution issues, and discussion of use of rapid influenza testing.

Other Resources

Subscribe to CDC’s Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report (MMWR).

Listen to audiotapes and podcasts of novel H1N1 news of interest to clinicians.

Drug information: CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with novel H1N1 flu viruses, including women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. For more information, view drug information from the National Library of Medicine:

• Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
• Zanamivir (Relenza)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Information About Medical Devices in Emergency Situations

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) News

Journalists and Media Professionals

CDC's Media Relations Office

Special e-mail boxes are established to help you get facts to prepare stories and confirm facts about novel H1N1 flu. Please use these e-mail boxes to contact the CDC Media Relations Office and include the email where you can be reached, telephone number for call-backs, your deadline, your organization’s name, and questions you have.

• MediaOutbreak@cdc.gov (All print and web inquiries)
• RadioOutbreak@cdc.gov (All radio interview requests)
• TVOutbreak@cdc.gov (All television interview requests)

Consumer and Volunteer Organizations

Not a health center or clinic? Do people rely on you and your organization for support and assistance during a crisis? Do you want to do more but not sure where to start?

Learn more about faith and community-based efforts that support public health activities.

Know the facts before you act. Read the general information featured at CDC’s main novel H1N1 Web site.

Using cell phone, Internet, or other services to deliver messages to your clients and others? CDC is using social media and networking tools. See samples for novel H1N1, Social Media Tools for Consumers and Partners.

Offering hotline, reassurance or other services? We recommend using Adapting Community Call Centers for Crisis Support, A Model for Home-Based Care and Monitoring to help in organizing services to meet needs now and perhaps in the future. 

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Page last reviewed: 9/1/09
Page last modified: 9/1/09
Content source: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion