THURSDAY, Oct. 1, 2020 — About 61 percent of pregnant women received the influenza vaccination and 56.6 percent received the reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination in 2019 to 2020, according to research published in the Oct. 2 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Hilda Razzaghi, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues used data from 1,841 survey respondents to examine influenza and Tdap vaccination coverage among pregnant women during the 2019 to 2020 influenza season.

The researchers found that 61.2 percent of the respondents reported receiving the influenza vaccination before or during their pregnancy, representing a 7.5 percent increase over 2018 to 2019. Overall, 56.6 percent of the 463 respondents who had a live birth by their survey date reported receiving the Tdap during pregnancy, similar to the rate in 2018 to 2019. Women who reported receiving a provider offer or referral for vaccination had the highest vaccination coverage (75.2 and 72.7 percent for influenza and Tdap, respectively). There were increases observed in influenza vaccination coverage in the 2019 to 2020 season compared with the 2018 to 2019 season for non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and women of other races compared with no change in non-Hispanic Whites. Hispanic and Black women had the lowest Tdap coverage in the 2019 to 2020 season compared with White women and women of other races.

“Racial disparities in vaccination coverage could decrease further with consistent provider offers or referrals for vaccination, in combination with culturally competent conversations with patients,” the authors write.

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