November 30, 2021
(Boston)—Vaccine hesitancy is considered one of the top 10 threats to public health by the World Health Organization. Pregnant women and newborn infants are at an increased risk for severe disease from influenza (flu) and whooping cough, therefore improving maternal vaccination is a high priority for keeping moms and babies safe.
Why vaccinate?
Consider that a pregnant 30-year-old has a similar risk of hospitalization from flu as a 65-year-old. The flu can also lead to pregnancy complications. Between 10,000 and 50,000 cases of whooping cough occur in the U.S. each year and infants younger six months have a 50 percent chance of needing to be hospitalized if they get it.
The flu vaccine decreases the risk of getting the flu, and also decreases the risk of being hospitalized if one does get the flu. Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy allows protective antibodies to pass to the baby, which protects the baby until the baby is old enough to be vaccinated. Unfortunately, only about half of pregnant individuals receive these vaccines. Rates are even lower among women of color.
Motivation to vaccinate
A new study asked pregnant women what information they found most important when deciding whether to accept recommended flu and whooping cough vaccines. The women felt vaccine safety and protection of the infant was the most significant consideration and these messages were most impactful when delivered by trusted health care providers.
Read more at EurekAlert.