For nine months of her young life, the rules change for women who become pregnant. In this case, young is any woman under 50.

Adults under age 50 are not considered at higher risk for complications of seasonal flu—-and perhaps it does not dawn on pregnant women that for that time span, they leave the low-risk population and enter a higher risk one.

According to several reports in the last two months, neither does this occur to many doctors.

The pandemic may serve to help women and their doctors make influenza vaccinations—-seasonal, and this year, pandemic—-an item on the to-do list.

Medpage Today

“Although the CDC recommends seasonal flu shots for children, adults ages 50 or older, and pregnant women, expectant mothers have turned a deaf ear to the advice, according to data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS).

“Despite evidence that maternal vaccination with influenza vaccine protects infants from influenza-like illness during the first six months of life, recent national data show that pregnant women have the lowest rates of coverage among all adult populations recommended to receive vaccination,” the editors of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report write in the Sept. 11 issue.

“PRAMS surveys pregnant women in 37 states, New York City, and one tribal-state partnership in South Dakota. In two states — Georgia and Rhode Island — the survey included questions about flu vaccination. Researchers from the CDC’s division of reproductive health at the National Center on Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion used that data for their study.

“They found that while vaccination rates were increasing, coverage still fell short of public health goals.”

Source: Medpage Today, September 10, 2009

Citation:  CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 11, 2009