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Title: Flu Shot During Pregnancy Protects Newborn
URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/22CA06.htm
Doctor's Guide
September 17, 2008

BALTIMORE, Md -- September 17, 2008 -- Newborns can be protected from seasonal flu when their mothers are vaccinated during pregnancy, according to a study that will be published in the October 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers observed a 63% reduction in proven influenza illness among infants born to vaccinated mothers while the number of serious respiratory illnesses to both mothers and infants dropped by 36%.

The study is the first to demonstrate that the inactivated influenza vaccine provides protection to both mother and newborn. The findings were presented during the National Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting in Washington, DC on September 17, 2008.

"Even though there is no flu vaccine for these children, our study shows that a newborn's risk of infection can be greatly reduced by vaccinating mom during pregnancy. It's a 2 for 1 benefit," said senior author Mark Steinhoff, MD, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.

"Infants under 6 months have the highest rates of hospitalisation from influenza among children in the US. These admission rates are higher than those for the elderly and other high-risk adult groups."

The study was conducted in Bangladesh in collaboration with researchers from the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research. Researchers observed 340 mothers and their infants as part of the larger Mother's Gift vaccine evaluation study. The mothers were randomly selected to receive either flu vaccine or pneumococcal vaccine.

"Pregnant woman should be encouraged to be vaccinated for the flu to protect their infants and themselves," said Dr. Steinhoff.

SOURCE: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

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