Immunization during pregnancy

Determination of vaccination status of pregnant women during pregnancy and the affecting factors

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To determine the vaccination status of pregnant women during pregnancy and factors affecting their vaccination.

BACKGROUND

Immunisation provided through vaccination is one of the most effective ways to reduce or prevent the risks of disease, disability and death. Maternal and newborn health may be protected and morbidity may be decreased through vaccinating pregnant women when necessary.

DESIGN

This was a descriptive and cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

This study was conducted in a university hospital in Ankara, Turkey, between 01 March and 31 May 2010. The study was carried out with 198 healthy pregnant women who had completed the 26th week of gestation. Data were collected using the data collection form composed of questions enquiring about the demographic and obstetric features of pregnant women and whether or not they knew that vaccinations could be given during pregnancy, and which vaccines could be used during pregnancy, which vaccine/vaccines they had previously received and the reasons for having been vaccinated or not.

RESULTS

Approximately half of the participants had received at least one of the vaccines that may be used in pregnancy (52·0%). The pregnant women received vaccinations for tetanus (47·0%), H1N1 (9·1%), seasonal influenza (3·0%) and hepatitis B (0·5%), respectively. The pregnant women who had been educated about vaccinations had been vaccinated at a statistically significantly higher rate compared with those who had not.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that pregnant women's knowledge about the required vaccines during pregnancy affected their behaviour towards vaccination. Acquiring knowledge about vaccines that may be used during pregnancy from health personnel is effective to increase vaccination. This result may be interpreted as 'acquired information affects behaviour towards vaccination'.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Providing information about immunisation to pregnant women at the antenatal clinic is important in terms of maternal and newborn health. Nurses and midwives working in the antenatal field should be sufficiently educated about immunisation.

Immunization of immunocompromised persons

Advances in medicine, science, and technology have led to increasing numbers of people in the general population with altered host defenses. The risk for clinical infection in an immunocompromised host, such as a person who has received a solid organ transplant, is determined largely by the interaction between two factors: the epidemiologic exposures the person encounters and the person's net state of immunosuppresson. Vaccination represents a crucial approach for preventing infection in the general public and immunocompromised persons. This article reviews the benefits of and risks for immunization in immunocompromised persons and provides recommendations for the use of specific vaccines.