Thursday, the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Family Physicians joined the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a growing chorus of public health officials in strongly recommending that pregnant women receive vaccinations against the swine flu, or H1N1 influenza virus.

And local OB/GYNs echo that advice.

In letters to physicians the medical organizations and CDC said there is growing evidence that pregnant women are disproportionately vulnerable to the virus, noting that while pregnant women comprise less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 6 percent of the confirmed H1N1 influenza deaths nationally.

"Pregnant women carry a heightened risk for serious complications and death from the flu," said AMA Board Member Dr. Mary Ann McCaffree. "We need to counsel our patients so that they understand that the vaccines are safe and that getting vaccinated is the single best way to protect them and their babies from the flu."