Maternal Influenza A(H1N1) Immunization During Pregnancy and Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Offspring: A Cohort Study
Cohort study (39,726 infants prenatally exposed to H1N1 vaccine, 29,293 unexposed) found no association between maternal H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy and risk for autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring (1.0% vs 1.1% diagnosed with ASD respectively).
Source:
Annals of Internal Medicine
SPS commentary:
A related editorial discusses this research, confirming that the data should provide reassurance. It concludes that a comprehensive and proactive approach to vaccine safety is needed now more than ever with the hopefully imminent arrival of COVID-19 vaccines. There is very limited information on pregnancy safety from the current ongoing trials, and if pregnant women are to be offered the vaccines, there must be observational studies in place that can promptly evaluate the overall safety of vaccination in pregnancy. This should include continuous follow-up and evaluation of the health of vaccinated offspring into childhood and should not focus solely on traditional perinatal outcomes.