CDC's Reproducti​ve Health Web site Update

Getting a flu shot protects pregnant women from getting the flu. Studies have also shown that getting a flu shot while pregnant can decrease the baby’s chance of getting the flu for up to 6 months after birth.  Pregnant women and their unborn baby are at increased risk for complications from influenza; therefore, more efforts are needed to increase influenza vaccination coverage for pregnant women and encourage their providers to recommend and offer the flu vaccine to their pregnant patients.

A new report, Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Pregnant Women 29 States and New York City, 2009—2010 Season, was released last week in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). In this report, CDC analyzed data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to assess influenza vaccination coverage among women from 29 states and New York City with recent live-births. 

Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Pregnant Women — 29 States and New York City, 2009–10 Season

Report findings: Pregnant women receiving the seasonal flu vaccination varied among the PRAMS states from 26.1% to 67.9%.

• Pregnant women receiving the pH1N1 flu vaccination varied among the PRAMS states from 21.9% to 63.3%.
• Women who received a provider recommendation or offer were five times as likely to get the seasonal flu vaccine as women who didn’t receive a provider offer.  For pH1N1, women who received a provider recommendation or offer were fourteen times as likely to get the pH1N1 vaccination.
• These results indicate higher vaccination levels achieved during the 2009–2010 season as compared with the previous seasons.

Overall, women who reported that a health-care provider offered them influenza vaccination or told them to get it during their pregnancy were more likely to be vaccinated than those without an offer or recommendation. This emphasizes the critical role of health care providers in promoting influenza vaccination.

Learn more about:

• Pregnant Women and Influenza
• http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/pregnant.htm
• CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Pregnant Women & Influenza (Flu)

• Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS)
• http://www.cdc.gov/prams/
• CDC - Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System - Reproductive Health

• CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health
• http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/index.htm
• CDC - Home - Reproductive Health