RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Health and socio-demographic characteristics associated with uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination amongst pregnant women: Retrospective cohort study
JF British Journal of General Practice
JO Br J Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP BJGP.2022.0078
DO 10.3399/BJGP.2022.0078
A1 Woodcock, Thomas
A1 Novov, Vesselin
A1 Skirrow, Helen
A1 Butler, James
A1 Lovett, Derryn
A1 Adeleke, Yewande
A1 Blair, Mitch
A1 Saxena, Sonia
A1 Majeed, Azeem
A1 Aylin, Paul
YR 2022
UL http://bjgp.org/content/early/2022/11/09/BJGP.2022.0078.abstract
AB Pregnant women are at increased risk from influenza, yet maternal influenza vaccination levels remain suboptimal. This study aimed to estimate associations between socio-demographic and health characteristics and seasonal influenza vaccination uptake among pregnant women and understand trends over time to inform interventions to improve vaccine coverage. A retrospective cohort study using linked electronic health records of women in North West London with at least one pregnancy overlapping with an influenza season between September 2010 and February 2020. We used a multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression model to identify associations between characteristics of interest and primary outcome of influenza vaccination. 451,954 pregnancies, among 260,744 women, were included. In 85,376 (18.9%) pregnancies women were vaccinated against seasonal influenza. Uptake increased from 8.4% in 2010/11 to 26.3% in 2018/19, dropping again to 21.1% in 2019/20. Uptake was lowest among women: aged 15-19 years (12%) or over 40 years (15%; OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.24); of Black ethnicity (14.1%; OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.57), or unknown ethnicity (9.9%; OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.46), lived in more deprived areas (OR least vs most deprived 1.16, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.21), or with no known risk factors for severe influenza. Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in pregnant women increased in the past decade, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but remained suboptimal. We recommend approaches to reducing health inequalities should focus on women of Black ethnicity, younger and older women, and women living in areas of greater socio-economic deprivation.