Influenza Vaccination during Pregnancy: Annotated Bibliography
Research question: Is antiviral flu medication safe during pregnancy?
Sukumaran, L., McCarthy, N. L., Kharbanda, E. O., Weintraub, E., Vazquez-Benitez, G., McNeil, M. M., & Lugg, M. M. (2015). Safety of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis and influenza vaccinations in pregnancy. Obstetrics and gynecology , 126 (5), 1069. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1097%2FAOG.0000000000001066
The article evaluates the safety of administering influenza vaccines to expectant women by comparing the effects after their intake. The authors conducted a cohort study in which they evaluate expectant mothers aged between 14 and 19 years. The various effects of the vaccines including preterm births, low birth weights and fever were observed. According to the results, acute adverse impacts such as fever were rare. In addition, there was no relationship between the intake of the medication and the birth outcomes such as premature deliveries. The article is useful because it asserts that it is safe to co-administer influenza vaccines for pregnant individuals. Conducting the study on women for a period of seven years makes the article a valuable source of information. It reassures the healthcare providers and expectant mothers who are about to take influenza vaccinations.
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Chamberlain, A. T., Seib, K., Ault, K. A., Orenstein, W. A., Frew, P. M., Malik, F., & Berkelman, R. L. (2015). Factors associated with intention to receive influenza and tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccines during pregnancy: A focus on vaccine hesitancy and perceptions of disease severity and vaccine safety. PLoS Currents , 7 . doi: 10.1371/currents.outbreaks.d37b61bceebae5a7a06d40a301cfa819
In this article, the factors that are associated with the administering of influenza vaccines are identified. There is a need to improve the influenza vaccine coverage among pregnant women across the globe. However, lack of knowledge has been a barrier to vaccinating of pregnant women. The authors conducted a survey on women who had not received the vaccine during their pregnancy. From the results, the authors concluded that the lack of proper information regarding the vaccines led to a low number of individuals who received treatment. A majority of the women were aware of the dangers of influenza to themselves and the infants but were reluctant to be vaccinated. The article is useful because it provides an assessment of women’s perceptions towards flu vaccines.
Laenen, J., Roelants, M., Devlieger, R., & Vandermeulen, C. (2015). Influenza and pertussis vaccination coverage in pregnant women. Vaccine , 33 (18), 2125-2131. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.03.020
The article describes the vaccine coverage for influenza and the factors that are related to their status in expectant mothers. Expectant women have more risk of complications when they get infected with flu. However, their knowledge about the effects of vaccine determines whether they will go ahead and get vaccinated or not. The author conducts a study on 250 women who give the main reasons for non-vaccination during their pregnancies. The results showed that an absence of a recommendation from a medical staff and a delay in the vaccination were the main reason. Those with lower education were likely not to be vaccinated. The article is important because it reveals the main reasons why most pregnant women are not vaccinated. It creates awareness on the need for vaccination among uneducated women and the risks that it poses to both the infants and the mothers.
Madhi, S. A., Cutland, C. L., Kuwanda, L., Weinberg, A., Hugo, A., Jones, S., & Venter, M. (2014). Influenza vaccination of pregnant women and protection of their infants. New England Journal of Medicine , 371 (10), 918-931. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1401480
According to the article, pregnant women have a high susceptibility to severe flu from the second trimester of their pregnancies. The efficacy of the vaccines is different for pregnant women who are infected with HIV. The authors conducted a trial on pregnant women infected with HIV and on expectant women not infected. The studies revealed that the attack rate of influenza on women infected with HIV was high than that of the women not infected. The results also showed that the vaccine is effective on pregnant women with influenza whether they are HIV positive or not. Thus, the article reassures pregnant individuals infected with HIV that they should accept the vaccination once they have the flu. It is written for people with little knowledge on influenza vaccination and is easy to understand.
McMillan, M., Porritt, K., Kralik, D., Costi, L., & Marshall, H. (2015). Influenza vaccination during pregnancy: A systematic review of fetal death, spontaneous abortion, and congenital malformation safety outcomes. Vaccine , 33 (18), 2108-2117. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.02.068
The article provides an analysis of adverse events that occur after influenza vaccination during pregnancy. The researchers conducted a search of literature since the database was set up in 2014. They considered both the clinical trials and observations. According to them, the potential risk of harm from the influenza vaccines was the main factor to the low uptake of the vaccine. The results indicated that there was no relationship between influenza vaccination with the increased risk of infant deaths, abortion, and congenital malformations. Therefore, the article is useful because it provides information on the relationship between influenza vaccination and adverse impacts such as fetal deaths. As a result, individuals with little knowledge over the impact of influenza vaccination on themselves and the infants would acquire knowledge which will be helpful during their pregnancy periods.
Tobar, Y.B. (2017). Is it safe to get a flu shot during pregnancy? Mayo Clinic . Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/influenza/faq-20058522
Tobar talks about getting flu shot during pregnancy period. According to her, it is safe to get the influenza vaccination. The CDC proposes that all expecting mothers should get a flu shot during the influenza season, regardless of their trimesters. It has several advantages such as preventing flu and maternal complications such as being hospitalized. It also prevents problems related to the flu such as increased rates of fetal birth defects, miscarriages, and premature deliveries. Infants are also protected after their birth through the vaccination. The antibodies that a pregnant mother develops after the vaccination are passed to the fetus through the placenta and breast milk. Thus, the article indicates that an influenza vaccination is crucial to every pregnant woman since it protects both the infant and the mother from complications.
