title: Influenza vaccination rates of expectant parents with neonatal intensive care admission.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain the rate of influenza immunization in pregnant couples whose infants required neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and to clarify predictors for trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) use in this targeted parent population.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the 2005-07 influenza seasons, parents of NICU patients at two level III centers were surveyed about TIV after their infant's NICU admission. Data on immunization history, location of immunization, and other risk factors for influenza were assessed. Infant data including birth weight, gestational age, and multiple births were also obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven hundred and eighty-six parents had infants in the NICU. Five hundred and forty-seven (69.5%) were surveyed. The overall parental rate of vaccination was 23.2% (127/547). The parental vaccination rate did not differ between years (23.2% vs. 23.2%). Mothers were less likely to have received TIV prior to delivery than fathers (17.0% vs. 28.4%; p < 0.02). Of the population, 19.3% received immunization from their OB/GYN. A concordance rate of 8.9% was noted between married couples receiving TIV. More parents received TIV in January and February of the influenza seasons than November and December (p < 0.05, Student's t-test). Influenza immunization rate in NICU parents was unrelated to infant's gestational age, parental age, total number of risk factors for TIV, hospital length of stay, multiple gestation, or need for high risk obstetrical care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TIV rates among high-risk pregnant parents whose infants are admitted to NICU are lower than expected compared with the general population. Patient refusal of influenza vaccine is not a major obstacle toward acceptance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11791, USA. shetal.shah@stonybrook.edu
authors.forename: Shetal I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turcotte
authors.forename: Hong Dao
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D032541:Mass Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D010290:Parents; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines