More Pregnant Women Getting Flu Shot, But Improvement Needed

Extra Pregnant Girls Getting Flu Shot, However Enchancment Wanted

THURSDAY, Dec. eight, 2016 (HealthDay Information) -- Getting a flu shot throughout being pregnant can defend each a mom-to-be and her child. And whereas the proportion of pregnant American ladies who acquired the vaccine has doubled lately, too many nonetheless go with out the shot, researchers say.

"Though the pattern is encouraging, protection nonetheless falls far in need of the 2016 [U.S.] advice that each one pregnant ladies who're or may turn out to be pregnant throughout flu season be vaccinated," in response to a crew led by Stephen Kerr, an epidemiologist at Boston College.

Kerr's crew has tracked information on vaccinations obtained throughout being pregnant for greater than 5,300 U.S. ladies since 2005. The investigators discovered that within the flu seasons earlier than the 2009-2010 H1N1 flu pandemic, just one in each 5 pregnant ladies within the examine acquired an influenza vaccine.

Nonetheless, that quantity jumped to 33 % of the ladies in the course of the 2009-2010 flu outbreak, and has risen since then to 41 % protection by the 2013-2014 flu season.

Twenty % of the vaccinations the ladies obtained got in "non-traditional" well being care settings -- resembling at work or faculty, or in a pharmacy -- however the majority got in medical doctors' workplaces.

The examine authors additionally famous that the most recent information from the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention confirmed that half of pregnant ladies had obtained a flu shot in the 2015-2016 season.

Influenza and its issues can endanger each the pregnant lady and her child, the researchers famous. And it is thought that when a girl will get the vaccine in being pregnant, its results could assist protect a new child from flu for a number of months after beginning.

So, what will be achieved to lift flu vaccination charges additional amongst pregnant ladies? In keeping with the investigators, intervention by well being care workers is vital.

Kerr and colleagues famous that, in response to CDC information, "in the course of the 2015-2016 influenza season, 63 % of pregnant ladies whose well being care supplier really useful and supplied influenza vaccination obtained the vaccine in contrast with 38 % who obtained a advice however no supply, and solely 13 % of pregnant ladies who obtained no advice."

Which means that the routine care of pregnant ladies ought to embrace counseling about and administration of flu vaccine, the researchers concluded.

The findings are printed within the Dec. 9 problem of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

-- E.J. Mundell

Copyright © 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

SOURCE: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Dec. 9, 2016