Half of pregnant U.S. women get flu shot

Despite the longstanding recommendation that pregnant women get vaccinated for influenza, vaccination levels were low prior to 2009/2010, U.S. officials say.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report says vaccinating pregnant women for influenza protects both the women and their infants, especially infants younger than 6 months who are not old enough to get influenza vaccination."During the 2009/2010 season, about half of pregnant women were vaccinated, and this level was sustained during the 2010/2011 season at 49 percent," the report says. "However, women who were offered influenza vaccination by a healthcare provider were five times more likely to be vaccinated than women who didn't receive an offer from a provider."Four out of 10 women in this survey were asked to have a flu shot, the report says."Healthcare providers need to strongly recommend and offer inactivated influenza vaccination to their pregnant patients to protect both women and their infants," health officials say.