Pregnant women told: get swine flu shots

Pregnant South Canterbury women are being urged to get the flu vaccine as research shows swine flu is 13 times more likely to make them critically ill.

Research released yesterday has shown pregnant women in New Zealand and Australia who had the H1N1 flu were 13 times more likely to become critically ill and be admitted to hospital. The study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), analysed data from the middle of the southern hemisphere's 2009 winter and found that 11 per cent of mothers and 12 per cent of babies died after admission to intensive care with swine flu.

South Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Daniel Williams said pregnant women had already been recognised as a high-risk group and the Ministry of Health would provide the flu shot free of charge.

"We are just about to enter the flu season and vaccination is free for pregnant women in light of the research which shows they are higher risk. Several groups have been highlighted as high risk including pregnant women, people who are very overweight, very young children and people with chronic illnesses."

Anyone who fell in those categories should speak to their doctor about getting the free flu vaccination, he said.

"In the northern hemisphere the flu season started early and we predict it will be earlier here as well so people should get the vaccination as soon as possible."

The findings confirmed earlier research that pregnant women were at higher risk of serious complications if they got the flu.

Ian Seppelt from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Influenza Investigators, who led the BMJ study, noted that none of the women studied had been immunised against regular seasonal flu, despite recommendations that they should be.

During the study period from June 1 to August 31 last year, a total of 209 women of child-bearing age (15 to 44) were admitted to intensive care units with confirmed swine flu. Sixty-four of those were either pregnant or had recently given birth.

Women who were more than 20 weeks pregnant were 13 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care than non-pregnant women who had swine flu, the study found.

Around 69 per cent of the women had to be put on ventilators to help with breathing and of these, 14 per cent needed more help with getting oxygen to reach their heart and lungs.

Overall, seven of the mothers and seven of the babies died.

"Although a mortality of 11 per cent seems low when compared to usual outcomes of respiratory failure in intensive care ... a maternal mortality of 11 per cent is high when compared with any other obstetric condition," Mr Seppelt wrote in the study.

- with Reuters

- © Fairfax NZ News