Objective:

To assess the coverage rates of Influenza vaccination in pregnant women, to identify the reasons for non-immunization and to compare with the Bordetella pertussis vaccination rate in pregnancy.

Methods:

Observational prospective study performed between January and February of 2020. In the postnatal ward, a self-administered questionnaire about flu vaccination and the reasons for non-vaccination was delivered. Chi squared and Fisher’s exact tests were performed.

Results:

In the postnatal ward 117 women answered the questionnaires - 49% were vaccinated against influenza. The main cause for the non-vaccination was the lack of recommendation (61%), followed by the fear of adverse effects (20%). Vaccination during pregnancy was more frequent when the antenatal care was provided at public hospital versus primary care or private care (respectively 68%, 31% e 47%, p=0.023), when the pertussis vaccine was performed (96% vs 79%, p=0.005) and when women had adequate information on flu severity in pregnancy and to the neonate (65% vs 41%, p=0.013) and knew the potential benefits of influenza vaccination during pregnancy in preventing flu in the first months of life of the neonate (76% vs 29%, p<0.001).

Conclusion:

In our population, the reduced vaccination coverage (49%) was essentially linked to lack of recommendation about influenza vaccination during pregnancy by healthcare providers.

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