Public Health England (PHE) is calling for more pregnant women to come forward for the free flu vaccination as a report shows how fatal the virus can be for pregnant women.
The national maternal deaths report led by a team of academics, clinicians and charity representatives, called MBRRACE-UK shows that among those women who died in, or shortly after, pregnancy, between 2009 and 2012, flu was the cause of death in 1 in 11.
Within this period, which includes the period of the influenza pandemic in 2009 to 2010, a total of 36 pregnant women died with strains of the flu virus that the current vaccine will protect against. Half of the deaths occurred after the vaccine became available free-of-charge to pregnant women, but sadly none of the women were known to be vaccinated.
Pregnant women are at increased risk of serious complications and death from flu compared with other healthy adults. Flu can also affect the pregnancy, leading to stillbirth, prematurity and low birthweight. Flu can also be serious for new-born babies, who cannot be protected themselves by vaccination, but gain some protection if their mother is vaccinated in pregnancy.
Professor Maria Zambon, director of PHE’s Reference Microbiology Centre, said: “Flu is now largely preventable for pregnant women and their babies, because a free, safe and effective vaccination is offered from the NHS. The vaccine is not a live vaccine and it cannot give you flu. Despite this, around 60% of pregnant women in England have yet to get the flu vaccine this winter, and this of great concern.”
