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Home Industry News New report highlights need for flu vaccination in pregnant women

New report highlights need for flu vaccination in pregnant women

15th December 2014

The government has highlighted the publication of a new report that highlights the fatal impact flu can have on pregnant women, underlining the need for vaccination.

A team of academics, clinicians and charity representatives called MBRRACE-UK compiled the new analysis, which reveals that one in 11 women who died during or shortly after pregnancy between 2009 and 2012 did so because of flu.

It means a total of 36 pregnant women died with strains of the flu virus that the current vaccine will protect against. None of the individuals had been immunised, with half of the deaths occurring after the vaccine became available free-of-charge to pregnant women.

Around 60  percent of pregnant women in England have yet to get the flu vaccine this winter, a trend that the government wishes to address by publicising this data.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation for Public Health England, said: "We urge all pregnant women, and anyone else who is eligible but hasn't yet received their free flu vaccination, to contact their GP or midwife today."

Last winter, Public Health England received reports of 904 people admitted to intensive care or high-dependency units with laboratory confirmed flu, with 98 deaths coming as a result.ADNFCR-8000103-ID-801765979-ADNFCR

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