Attitudes toward year-round influenza vaccination in pregnant women.

Influenza virus circulates year-round, yet uptake of maternal influenza vaccination decreases outside of influenza season. This prospective study of 62 pregnant women provides insight into the possible underlying reasons for this. Despite knowledge of benefits for maternal and infant outcomes, we observed a lack of understanding of rates of influenza infection outside influenza season, concerns about safety in relation to receiving multiple vaccinations during the same pregnancy, and lack of healthcare provider recommendation to be vaccinated outside influenza season. These findings can help tailor public health education targeting pregnant women and their healthcare providers to improve influenza vaccine uptake.

Myocarditis Caused by Human Parechovirus in Adult.

The infectious etiology of myocarditis often remains unidentified. We report a case of myocarditis associated with human parechovirus (HPeV) infection in an adult. HPeV is an emerging pathogen that can cause serious illness, including myocarditis, in adults. Testing for HPeV should be considered in differential diagnosis of myocarditis.

Maternal vaccinations.

BACKGROUND: Maternal immunisation, which refers to vaccinations administered during pregnancy, is an integral part of preventive healthcare for pregnant women and infants. With new maternal vaccines in development, the scope of maternal immunisation is expanding. OBJECTIVE: This review focuses on the principles underpinning maternal immunisation, the existing recommendations and maternal vaccines in development, a review of vaccines that may be indicated for pregnant women who wish to travel, and safety data on inadvertent administration of live vaccines to pregnant women. DISCUSSION: Maternal immunisation has the potential to protect women from severe disease (as in the case of influenza) and infants from severe morbidity and mortality (as in the case of pertussis). With other maternal vaccines currently in development, such as vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus and Group B streptococcus, maternal immunisation is playing an increasingly important role in improving maternal and neonatal health.

Factors influencing the uptake of influenza vaccine vary among different groups in the hard-to-reach population.

OBJECTIVE: This report describes a mobile outreach influenza immunisation program for vulnerable populations in a resource-rich setting. It explores vaccine recipients' demographics, comorbidities and vaccination histories, and the factors influencing their decision to receive vaccine during outreach. METHODS: Teams of nurse immunisers visited and provided influenza vaccines to clients from 21 sites (18 community centres for migrants, refugees and the homeless; and three outpatient clinics). Risk factors for severe influenza, vaccination histories and perceived barriers and facilitators to vaccines were collected from vaccine recipients. RESULTS: A total of 1,032 vaccine recipients participated in the survey with responses collected from April to October 2018. Of these, 54% reported at least one risk factor for severe influenza. Sixty per cent of recipients had not received an influenza vaccine in 2017, with most of them reporting 'not worried about influenza' as a reason. Pregnant participants most frequently reported a healthcare provider's recommendation as the reason to receive the vaccine. CONCLUSION: An outreach program comprising of a means of taking vaccines to the population was a successful strategy to deliver influenza vaccines to high-risk populations. It needs to be considered in the full range of delivery models to improve influenza vaccine coverage, even in resource-rich settings. Implication for public health: Strategies reaching out to vulnerable populations are crucial to maximise vaccine uptake.