Influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant women: 2011-12 influenza season, United States

Abstract

Pregnant women and their newborns are at elevated risk for influenza-associated hospitalization and death. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have recommended influenza vaccination for all women who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season, regardless of trimester. To estimate influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant women for the 2011-12 influenza season, CDC analyzed data from an Internet panel survey conducted April 3-17, 2012, among women pregnant at any time during the 4-month period October 2011-January 2012. Among 1,660 survey respondents, 47.0% reported they had received influenza vaccination; 9.9% were vaccinated before pregnancy, 36.5% during pregnancy, and <1.0% after pregnancy. Overall, 43.7% of women reported receipt of both a health-care provider recommendation and offer of influenza vaccination; these women had higher vaccination coverage (73.6%) than women who received only a recommendation but no offer of vaccination (47.9%) and women who received neither a recommendation nor an offer (11.1%). Continued efforts are needed to encourage providers of medical care to routinely recommend and offer influenza vaccination to women who are pregnant or who might become pregnant.