Could 3, 2016

News & Views: From the Editors of Health

Pregnancy Flu Shot Helps Preserve Newborns Safe Later On

May 3, 201six | By Healthiness Editor

Photo: Getty Images

By Don Rauf
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Could 3, 201six (HealthDay News) — Once a pregnant woman gets vaccinated for the flu, the protection extends to her baby too, Brand-new research confirms.

Babies six months and younger whose mothers had a flu vaccine throughout pregnancy were 70 percent much less most likely to have actually lab-confirmed flu compared to babies born to mothers that didn’t have actually the immunization while pregnant. In addition, the babies born to mothers immunized throughout pregnancy had an 80 percent reduction in flu-related hospitalizations, the study found.

“Kids younger compared to six months are as well young to be vaccinated,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Julie Shakib.

“The very best method to protect infants younger compared to six months is to guarantee everyone about them is vaccinated. Immunizing pregnant women provides immunity to the baby through the placenta. Immunizing others that live along with or care for the baby prevents them from obtaining the flu and passing it to the baby,” said Shakib, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

The study authors called the should Get hold of Even more pregnant women immunized “a public Healthiness priority.”

The U.S. Centers for Health problem Manage and Prevention recommends that all of pregnant women receive the flu vaccine to protect the two the mother and the baby. Pregnancy sets off modifications that make women Even more susceptible to the flu and its complications, the CDC says.

And babies can’t receive a flu vaccine of their own until they’re at least six months old, according to the CDC.

The flu vaccine isn’t recommended for infants under six months of age due to the fact that their immune units can’t yet respond to the vaccine in a method that would certainly permit them to produce enough protective antibodies, Dr. Tina Tan said. She’s a professor of pediatrics at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, and was not involved along with the study.

For the study, the researchers reviewed Even more compared to 245,000 Healthiness records of pregnant women and Even more compared to 249,000 infant records. Short article was available for nine flu seasons from December 200five through March 2014. Only concerning 10 percent of these women reported being vaccinated while pregnant, the study revealed.

According to Tan, mothers-to-be cite a lot of reasons for not obtaining a flu vaccine. They include: misconceptions concerning harming the infant, harming the mother, belief that they will certainly Get hold of influenza from the vaccine, belief that the vaccine is not effective, or they are not at risk for obtaining influenza so why Get hold of the vaccine.”

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists additionally strongly recommends that pregnant women Get hold of a flu shot throughout any type of trimester of pregnancy throughout flu season, Tan said.

The Brand-new study found that 97 percent of confirmed flu cases were among babies whose mothers hadn’t been immunized throughout pregnancy.

“The flu vaccine has actually a two-for-one reward if administered throughout pregnancy due to the fact that it additionally provides passive immunity for the newborn,” said Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in Brand-new York City.

“This can easily be crucial throughout flu season. Newborns cannot Get hold of the flu vaccine, and if they do contract the flu, this will certainly most likely require a hospital admission,” added Wu, that was not involved along with the study.

Ultimately, Shakib hopes the outcomes of her team’s study will certainly encourage Even more pregnant women to Get hold of the vaccine.

The report was published online Could 3 in the diary Pediatrics.

More information

For Even more on pregnant women and the flu, visit the U.S. Centers for Health problem Manage and Prevention.