Half of pregnant women get flu shots
Flu season is approaching, so let’s talk flu shots.
During the 2013-14 influenza season, about 52 percent of pregnant women were vaccinated before or during pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommend all pregnant women, regardless of trimester, receive influenza vaccination.
According to the CDC, women who received a recommendation and offer for a shot from their provider were more likely to be vaccinated than those who did not – even among women with negative attitudes toward influenza vaccination.
During the 2013-14 flu season, 65 percent of pregnant women reported receiving a clinician recommendation and offer of influenza vaccination, an increase of about 10 percentage points from the 2012-13 season, according to the CDC.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also recommends that all health care personnel be vaccinated annually against influenza.
About 75 percent of health care personnel reported receiving a flu shot during the 2013-14 influenza season, according to the CDC. During the previous flu season, 72 percent of health care personnel were vaccinated.
Coverage was highest among people working in hospitals (89.6 percent) and lowest among those working in long-term care settings (63 percent), according to the CDC.
And for the first time, coverage among nurses reached 90 percent – up from 85 percent in the 2012-13 flu season.
Marissa Harshman
I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.