The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) welcomes the paper published in The Lancet by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as it widens our understanding of the disease and provides useful information to clinicians and public health planners.
Findings show that pregnant women are four times more likely to be hospitalised when they have H1N1v flu when compared to the general population. Based on these findings, the CDC recommends that pregnant women are treated with antivirals as soon as symptoms appear (preferably within 48 hours of onset of the illness). This is consistent with advice in the UK on the administration of antivirals (Relenza) once pregnant women are diagnosed with swine flu. Moreover, the CDC recommends that women are vaccinated once the vaccine becomes available.
Mr Boon Lim, RCOG Pandemic Flu Planning lead said, “Pregnant women are regarded as a high-risk group and these latest findings from the CDC show that they have enhanced susceptibility to developing pneumonia and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome, once they contract the H1N1v flu.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) have stated that pregnant women should be prioritised to receive the swine flu vaccines when these are available. Currently, in the UK, pregnant women are advised to be immunised against the seasonal flu. The recommendation by the CDC to immunise pregnant women from swine flu is an extension of this principle and one which we support.
“The RCOG is working closely with the Department of Health to examine the evidence around safety of vaccination against the swine flu virus. Further guidance on vaccination will be issued in the near future.”
Notes
Reference
Jamieson DJ, Honein MA, Rasmussen SA, et al, and the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Pregnancy Working Group. H1N1 2009 influenza virus infection during pregnancy in the USA. Lancet 2009; published online July 29. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61304-0.