Influenza vaccination during pregnancy

Abstract:

Efficient protection of pregnant women and newborns from preventable diseases is one of the most important tasks of perinatal medicine. Despite the increasing implementation of vaccination of pregnant women as a preventive method, there is still room for considerable improvement. Knowledge and awareness of the first-line health care professionals are among the most important prerequisites for a successful vaccination program. Pregnant women are considered as a population at high-risk for influenza, and it is recommended to vaccinate them regardless the duration of pregnancy, aiming to reduce the incidence and complications of influenza for both themselves and their unborn and newborn children during the first six months of life.

Key words:
influenza; pregnancy; vaccination