Pregnant women urged to get flu vaccine

Wednesday April 21st, 2010

Pregnant women are five times as likely as others to die from infection with swine flu, according to a new analysis published last night.

Researchers said the findings highlighted the need for pregnant women to get swine flu vaccination.

The findings, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, show that five per cent of deaths from the H1N1 virus in the USA involved pregnant women. Pregnant women represent about one per cent of the US population.

Anti-viral drugs had made a big difference to a woman's chances of surviving infection, according to the study.

Dr Alicia Siston, of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, said women and their doctors were often reluctant to have flu vaccination during pregnancy.

She said: "Changes in the immune, cardiac, and respiratory systems are likely reasons that pregnant women are at increased risk for severe illness with influenza.

"Our analysis supports current public health recommendations for pregnant women that include vaccination with 2009 influenza A(H1N1) monovalent vaccine and early treatment of women who present with possible 2009 influenza A(H1N1) with antiviral medications."

She added: "To increase uptake further, pregnant women and their clinicians should be educated about the risks associated with influenza during pregnancy and made aware of the recommendations that vaccine can prevent illness from both seasonal influenza and 2009 influenza A(H1N1)."

JAMA. 2010;303[15]:1517-1525

Tags: Childbirth and Pregnancy | Flu & Viruses | North America | Women’s Health & Gynaecology

Printer friendly page