Pregnancy

Influenza vaccine in pregnancy and absence of risks for the child in early childhood

Is it safe to get the flu shot during pregnancy ? This question is very common among pregnant women.

The results of a large study suggest that the flu vaccine in pregnancy is safe for mother and baby.

This conclusion is the result of research published by the authoritative scientific journal The BMJ   which concludes that there is no association between exposure to the H1N1 vaccine (known as the 2009 “swine flu”) during pregnancy and health problems in the first childhood.

It is a Canadian study that brings reassuring results towards a very important vaccine that is often not taken into consideration.

Pregnant women and their newborns are considered to be at high risk during influenza pandemics and seasonal epidemics. Therefore, many countries advise all pregnant women to get a flu shot, which can protect both mothers and their young babies from the flu.

In line with public recommendations in most countries, Italy also expects all pregnant women to be offered the flu vaccination.

The benefits of vaccination for pregnant women and their newborns are well documented. The flu has rare but dangerous complications and pregnant women are much more vulnerable than others.

In the 2019 SIGO report we read. “ The European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) estimates that between 4 and 50 million symptomatic cases of influenza occur in Europe each year and that 15,000/70,000 European citizens die each year from complications of influenza. Every year the virus can change and new variants can appear all the time. People with chronic illnesses or with immature (newborns) or depressed (pregnant women) immune systems are particularly at risk.In the population of pregnant women, seasonal influenza increases the risk of maternal hospitalization, prematurity, cesarean delivery, fetal distress, low birth weight and termination of pregnancy. Even in infants under 6 months of age, the flu increases the risk of severe disease and complications”

Although substantial evidence supports the safety of influenza vaccination with regards to infant health, few studies to date have evaluated the health of older children who have been exposed to influenza vaccination in utero.

The study on the safety of the influenza vaccine in pregnancy

Researchers from Canada and the United States evaluated the relationship between 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccination during pregnancy and health outcomes in children during the first five years of life .

Using a birth registry linked to medical records, they identified all live births from November 2009 to October 2010 in Ontario, Canada, and monitored the health of these children up to age 5.

Of the 104,249 babies, 31,295 (30%) were born to vaccinated mothers.

An elevated risk of cancer, infection, chronic disease, hospitalization, or death has not been found in infants born to vaccinated mothers.

It was also seen that childhood gastrointestinal infections were slightly lower in children born to vaccinated mothers, while childhood asthma was slightly higher in children born to vaccinated mothers. These associations were very small, and the researchers say they could not rule out the possibility that this may have been due to other unmeasured factors (confounders) that could not be fully accounted for in the analysis.

This is an observational study and, as such, cannot establish cause. However, the results remained largely unchanged after further analysis and are consistent with results from other similar studies.

In conclusion, the researchers say their findings are reassuring and support the safety profile of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccination during pregnancy.

Future studies in different settings and with different flu vaccine formulations such as seasonal vaccines, according to the researchers, ” are important for developing the evidence base on pediatric long-term outcomes following flu vaccination during pregnancy . ”

The message is clear. In an editorial related to the study, the researchers involved state: “ Influenza vaccination during pregnancy is, based on all available evidence, safe for mother and offspring . Especially in this era of “anti-vaxx ” anxiety and misinformation they concluded,” it is our duty to be clear: vaccinating pregnant women saves lives .

Dr Kathryn Barlow

Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.

Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.

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