Highlights
- All pregnant people are advised to receive a flu shot each year
- Only 36 per cent pregnant women receive flu shot each year: Study
- Study followed 28000+ children from birth up to an average age of 3.5 years
Ottawa: A population-based study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), has found flu vaccination during pregnancy does not lead to an increased risk of adverse early childhood health outcomes. Although pregnant people are not more susceptible to acquiring influenza infection, they are at an increased risk of severe illness and complications if they get the flu during pregnancy. For this reason, all pregnant people are advised to receive a flu shot each year, yet only 36 per cent received it, according to a study monitoring four flu seasons in Nova Scotia. Safety concerns are reportedly a leading reason people may not receive influenza vaccination during pregnancy.
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Dr Deshayne Fell, an Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and a scientist at the CHEO Research Institute, a paediatric healthcare and research centre, led the study along with researchers in Ontario and at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. The study followed over 28,000 children from birth up to an average age of 3.5 years, with the results suggesting that maternal influenza vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with:
– Immune-related health conditions, such as asthma, ear infections or other types of infection.
– Non-immune-related health problems like neoplasms, sensory impairment.
– Nonspecific health needs such as Emergency Department visits and hospitalisations did not increase.
“This study adds to what we know from other recent studies showing no harmful effects of flu vaccination during pregnancy on the longer-term health of children,” said Dr Fell, whose other recent work includes studying the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy. She added,
This is important because we know that getting the flu shot during pregnancy not only protects the pregnant person but has the added bonus of protecting newborn babies from getting the flu during their first few months of life, which is when they are most susceptible to respiratory infections but still too young to get the flu shot themselves.
The study, Association of Maternal Influenza Vaccination During Pregnancy with Early Childhood Health Outcomes, is published in JAMA.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
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