title: Influenza immunization in pregnancy.
abstract: Among healthy persons, two groups are notable for increased risk of serious illness and hospitalization with influenza infection: healthy women in pregnancy and their healthy infants (aged 0 to 6 months). Inactivated influenza vaccine has been used in pregnant women since the 1960s in both the United States and Canada; however, currently, only 15% of pregnant women receive the vaccine. A randomized, controlled trial has shown influenza immunization of pregnant women reduced influenza-like illness by more than 30% in both the mothers and the infants and reduced laboratory-proven influenza infections in 0- to 6-month-old infants by 63%. Physicians caring for pregnant women should be aware of the risks of influenza and of the availability of an effective and cost-saving intervention.
authors.affiliation: From the Division Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Center, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; and Children's Global Health Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Noni E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Steinhoff
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines