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Maternal influenza vaccination linked to reduced respiratory illness among infants
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Infants born to mothers who received influenza vaccine during pregnancy were less likely to be hospitalized for acute respiratory illnesses during influenza season compared with infants born to unvaccinated mothers, according to study results.
“Although newborns are at increased risk of serious influenza illness, current vaccines are not licensed for use in infants younger than 6 months of age,” Annette K. Regan, MPH, of the school of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Western Australia, and colleagues wrote. “The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of maternal influenza vaccination on preventing hospitalizations for acute respiratory illness among infants [aged younger] than 6 months.”
About 31,000 mothers and singleton infants participated in the population-based cohort study conducted in Western Australia . Hospitalizations occurring during the 2012 and 2013 Southern Hemisphere influenza seasons — with a principle diagnosis or additional diagnoses consistent with severe respiratory illness — were drawn from a statewide hospital discharge database. To consider the newborns as “maternally vaccinated,” the mothers received influenza vaccine at least 14 days before their deliveries.
Among 3,169 maternally vaccinated and 27,589 unvaccinated infants, Regan and colleagues identified 732 hospitalizations, including 69% for infants diagnosed with bronchiolitis. There were 21.9 hospitalizations per 100,000 person-days among infants whose mothers were vaccinated and 30.2 hospitalizations per 100,000 person-days for those whose mothers were unvaccinated.
Compared with unvaccinated infants, maternally vaccinated infants were 25% less likely to be hospitalized for an acute respiratory illness during influenza season (aHR = 0.75, 95% CI, 0.56-0.99). The researchers also said vaccination administration during the third trimester was associated with a 33% reduction in the risk for newborn hospitalization (aHR = 0.67, 95% CI, 0.47-0.95), while no other reduced risks were observed for earlier vaccinations.
“Infants born to mothers who receive influenza vaccine during pregnancy are at significantly lower risk of hospitalization for an acute respiratory illness during influenza season compared to infants born to unvaccinated mothers in the first 6 months of life,” Regan and colleagues wrote. “Despite the benefits of influenza immunization given during pregnancy, unfortunately, studies indicate that less than half of women in Australia, the United States, and other parts of the world receive an influenza vaccine during their pregnancy.” – by Savannah Demko
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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