My husband and 1 1/2 year old daugther just got theirs yesterday.  She got the thimerosal-free kind, as all kids do. I will get mine at my next doctor's appointment (cheaper through my doctor) and thimerosal-free too.  No doctor would give a pregnant woman a vaccine with thimerosal.  I have no idea why your doctor would suggest that anyone would completely ignore the simplest administration and dosage indications on a shot.  I got my first flu shot when I was pregnant with my daughter, mainly out of laziness before.  I never get sick either even though the college students I teach are just as booger-filled as elementary school students.  I use my sick days to extend my maternity leave.  I don't think the shot is necessary--by no means something like folic acid or iron--but just looking at the number of pregnant women and babies who died or experienced serious complications from H1N1 made me get it.  I don't look at the propaganda on either side, but peer-reviewed research.  Psychopharmacological schemes are much more profitable than a flu shot scheme would be.  I'm not sure what you mean by new--they've been around for decades.  Different strains are integrated every season. 

All the research I've ever done has convinced me that the flu shot is unecessary since according to multiple studies I've read, it doesn't protect against all strains of the flu and some studies suggest that it may impair your immune system and make you more likely to get sick. With vaccines my policy is measure risk against reward and if risk is higher I don't get that shot. So my suggestion is just do some research and see if you think the shot is worth it or not.

I decided to get the shot, it's easier to get sick while pregnant, and if you happen to get the flu you're much more likely to end up in the hospital then someone who isn't pregnant.  There are few risks with getting the shot so I figured why not?  I work with people all day though so have a good likelyhood of being exposed to things as well.

One of the biggest reasons to get the flu shot during pregnancy if you don't normally is that pregnant women's immune systems are much lower than normal. It is much easier to pick up a bug while you're pregnant than any other time. During my first pregnancy, i got the flu shot, but I chose not to get the H1N1 shot until after I had the baby, since I work at home and the possible side effects scared me. Then my baby got the benefits since I was breastfeeding. Since they are combined now, I already got the flu shot a couple of weeks ago, though the one I got was preservative free. A lot of times you need a doctor's note to get the flu shot when you're pregnant, and you should always get the preservative free. I'm rarely sick, but with my first pregnancy I had several sinus infections, and really don't want to risk something much worse, especially with a toddler.