HAVING an influenza or whooping cough-diphtheria-tetanus (dTpa) vaccine during pregnancy helps prevent the baby from being hospitalised with the flu or whooping cough in their first six months, according to Italian research published today in JAMA Network Open.
The team used health records to identify over 53,000 mothers who received the dTpa combined vaccine during pregnancy, and over 5,000 who received a flu shot during pregnancy.
They then compared the rates of hospitalisation or emergency department visits among babies of vaccinated mums with babies whose mothers didn't receive a vaccine in pregnancy.
The flu shot was linked to a 70% reduced risk of flu-related hospitalisation or ED visit, while the dTpa vaccine was linked to an 89% reduced risk of whooping cough hospitalisation or ED visit in the babies' first six months of life.
In Italy, as in Australia, pregnant women are eligible for free influenza and whooping cough vaccination.
However, the authors reported, uptake of vaccinations was "suboptimal", especially for the flu, and they called for targeted public health strategies to improve vaccine uptake, particularly among vulnerable populations who may be less likely to receive vaccinations.
"Our study revealed a strong association between maternal influenza and [dTpa] vaccinations and reduced influenza- and pertussis-related hospitalisations and ED visits in infants younger than six months of age, alongside evidence of suboptimal vaccine uptake during pregnancy," they concluded.
"These results support the current recommendations for administering these vaccines during pregnancy and highlight the urgent need to implement strategies aimed to increase their acceptance."
Read the paper HERE. KB
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