As a nurse, Kristen Hicks takes all the right precautions to prevent illness. But her pregnancy has made it more important.

"Being exposed during pregnancy is definitely different for me," she said. "I'm caring for me and my child."

The Centers for Disease Control announced that pregnant women would be the first to receive the H1N1 vaccine, expected to be ready by October. Influenza always has been a health risk for women during pregnancy, but H1N1 appears to be striking at unusually high rates. The CDC reports about six percent of the U.S. deaths from the virus have been among pregnant women.

That's why doctors like Tanneisha Barlow, of Centre Obstetrics and Gynecology in Raleigh, say they advise their patients to get a flu shot, especially if their pregnancy comes during flu season.

"We recommend it highly to all of our pregnant women," she said. "We ask them at every visit until they refuse."

In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists report less than 14 percent of women get a flu shot at all. With two injections expected for an H1N1 vaccination, skeptical patients may choose to opt out.

"People don't like multiple injections," said Dr. Barlow. "But we will still recommend it, because we don't know which one is going to be the most prevalent."

As a healthcare worker, Hicks expects to get all the flu shots as soon as they are available.

"We try to get up to 80 percent of our workers immunized to prevent spread amongst our patients," said Dr. Linda Butler, Rex Chief Medical Officer.

Butler said the hospital will work with the Wake County Health Department on distribution of the vaccine. That could involve providing vaccines for private physicians' patients.

"We'll be working closely with them to make sure that everybody who needs the vaccine gets it in as quick a manner as possible," she said.