Influenza vaccination in pregnancy: careful assessment confirms safety concerns for the offspring

Abstract

Valid evidence does not support universal influenza vaccination for pregnant women, the LTE objections are unfounded. The observational evidence is less valid than that from RCTs: important safety signals in all the RCTs require high consideration. In RCTs, influenza vaccinated women have mostly local adverse effects, while their offspring shows a nonsignificant excess of deaths, and a significant excess of serious presumed/neonatal infections in the larger RCT. Several Authors have financial relationships with vaccine producers, several conclusions omit the safety signals. A cited systematic review has methodological problems and excluded important published RCTs. Waiting for new independent RCTs, the precautionary principle suggests avoiding to promote pregnant women vaccination. Health services could offer it highlighting existing uncertainties, with balanced informations allowing informed choices