UC San Diego

Objective

The goal of this study was to assess the concerns pregnant women have about influenza vaccination while breastfeeding and to determine if having these concerns represents a barrier to vaccination uptake.

Methods

The Vaccines and Medications in Pregnancy Surveillance System (VAMPSS) conducted a prospective cohort study in the US and Canada of influenza vaccine safety among pregnant women, oversampling vaccinated women. Data for the present paper are from an additional cross-sectional telephone survey completed during the 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 influenza seasons.

Results

We surveyed 431 pregnant women about their attitudes regarding influenza vaccination while breastfeeding. Almost half of the participants identified one or two concerns and 4% reported three or more concerns. About one quarter reported that they would be unlikely to have an influenza vaccination while breastfeeding. In the multivariate model, those reporting 1-2 concerns (OR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.09-0.28) and those reported 3 or more concerns (OR = 0.07, 95% CI 0.02-0.22) had lower odds of being likely to vaccinate.

Conclusions

Pregnant women and postpartum women who are breastfeeding could benefit from receiving information and recommendations specific to vaccination from their healthcare providers, with a focus on discussing known risks and benefits to the baby's health.