Women close to giving birth urged to get flu vaccine

PREGNANT WOMEN close to delivery who have not been vaccinated against flu should have the inoculation as soon as possible, the chief medical officer at the Department of Health has said.

Getting the vaccine would improve protection of the unborn baby, Dr Tony Holohan said.

He also said the risk of contracting flu was still elevated in women for six weeks after they had delivered their babies.

The rates of flu infection almost doubled in the past week for the second week in a row, with more than 9,000 cases of flu diagnosed.

The country’s first two deaths from flu this season were confirmed on Thursday.

The rate of influenza-like illness in the community was 204 cases in 100,000 of the population this week, compared with a corrected figure of 109 in 100,000 last week.

This was among the highest rates recorded to date. In October 2009 during the swine flu pandemic, a rate of 210 cases in 100,000 was reported, but was corrected a week later to 201.2 cases in 100,000.

Speaking yesterday, Dr Holohan said the “flu season” usually lasted seven to nine weeks, with an upswing and then a reduction in numbers. There may be an increase in rates for the next couple of weeks, he said, and then numbers would begin to decline.

He urged those in the at-risk categories, including pregnant women, over-65s, people with chronic heart disease or moderate to severe asthma and those who work in close contact with pigs and poultry, to have the vaccination.

“If you are pregnant you should come forward; it is the prudent thing to do.”

He said the risk of contracting swine flu was still elevated for women for six weeks after they have given birth and they should also be vaccinated.

Vaccination in pregnancy was also the best way of protecting a newborn baby too young to be immunised in their own right, Dr Holohan said.

Meanwhile, a European study on last year’s influenza immunisation programme, published this week, showed Ireland was the only country of nine which began its pandemic vaccination programme after the illness had peaked.

The Estimates of Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness in Europe 2009-2010study found influenza activity peaked in Ireland at the end of October while the pandemic vaccination campaign began two weeks later.

In Hungary, vaccination began 10 weeks before activity peaked and in France it began six weeks later. Italy had begun its campaign three weeks before its peak, while Portugal and Romania began its campaign two weeks before their peak. In Spain the campaign began in the same week as the illness peaked.

The pooled results suggest one dose of a pandemic vaccine conferred good protection against swine flu of between 65 per cent and 100 per cent.