Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Women Who Delivered a Live-born Infant - 21 States and New York City, 2009-10 and 2010-11 Influenza Seasons

Because influenza can be especially severe during pregnancy, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommend influenza vaccination for pregnant women. Pregnant women experience increased morbidity from influenza infection, and they were at increased risk for severe disease and mortality from 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 (pH1N1) pandemic virus infection. During the 2009-10 influenza season, CDC's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) began collecting data on pregnant women's vaccination coverage, and 22 areas continued to collect it during the 2010-11 season. To estimate state-specific seasonal influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant women for the 2010-11 influenza season, the most recent data available, CDC analyzed data from women who delivered a live-born infant during September 2010-May 2011(N = 18,522). This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that, for the 2010-11 season, overall combined 53.6% were vaccinated (44.2% during pregnancy, 8.8% postpartum, and <1% with unknown time during pregnancy). Among those vaccinated during pregnancy, most were vaccinated during the second or third trimester. Wide state-to-state variation in vaccination coverage was observed, with a range of 32.6% to 75.9% and a median of 54.8%. Compared with the 2009-10 season, coverage was either the same or higher in all areas. Strategies that contributed to increased vaccination coverage need to be promoted.