Author Interviews, CDC, Flu - Influenza, OBGYNE, Vaccine Studies / 31.05.2017
Study Finds No Link Between First Trimester Influenza Vaccination and Major Structural Birth Defects
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Elyse Olshen Kharbanda, MD MPH
HealthPartners Institute
Minneapolis, MN
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Pregnant women who get the flu are at an increased risk for severe illness. To protect pregnant women, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends women receive inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) during any trimester of their pregnancy.
This study used data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink to evaluate if there was an increased risk for selected major structural birth defects for infants whose mothers received IIV in the first trimester of pregnancy versus infants who were unexposed to IIV. Among over 425,000 live births, including 52,856 whose mothers received IIV during first trimester, we evaluated risks for major structural birth defects. In this large observational study, we did not observe increased risks for major structural birth defects in offspring following first trimester maternal inactivated influenza vaccine exposure.
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