Association of Maternal Influenza Vaccination During Pregnancy With Early Childhood Health Outcomes

SPS commentary:

A related editorial discusses this research, highlighting that maternal influenza vaccination can provide dual benefits, helping to prevent various complications in pregnant women and their foetuses. Maternal vaccination offers benefits to the infant through transplacental antibody transfer, which can protect infants during the high-risk first 6 months of life when they are not age-eligible for vaccination. These benefits of vaccination have been well documented, with studies showing immunogenicity in pregnant women, transplacental antibody transfer to the infant, and clinical efficacy and effectiveness against influenza-associated illness in mothers and infants. Against these documented benefits of vaccination, there have been concerns that in utero exposures to infection might have long term health consequences, possibly attributable to maternal immune activation during critical periods of development. These concerns might also cause hesitancy about maternal vaccination.

The editorial suggests the study adds to the positive evidence for influenza vaccination in pregnancy. The data supporting benefits and safety of maternal influenza vaccination during any gestational stage are therefore now abundant. Global policies that recommend maternal influenza vaccination have been in place for a decade. Nevertheless, influenza vaccination coverage in high-income countries remains suboptimal.  Therefore more research is needed to understand barriers to adoption of maternal influenza vaccination. It concludes that efforts are needed now to encourage maternal influenza vaccination worldwide and to act on the compelling efficacy and safety data.