Even if all pregnant women are advised to receive a flu shot, many do not. In Canada, only 20% of them get vaccinated during flu season. Those who are not immunised often give the same answer why: safety concerns.
Well, expecting parents can rest easy. Canadian and American researchers evaluated the relation between 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccination during pregnancy and health outcomes in the children during the first five years of life, and they found no association between exposure to the vaccine and health problems in early childhood.
Substantial evidence already supported the safety of flu vaccination with respect to newborn health, but few studies have assessed the health of older children exposed to flu vaccination in the womb like this one.
To learn more, visit the CHEO website.
For more information:
Orian Labrèche
Media Relations Officer
Cell: 613-863-7221
[email protected]