Transplacental Antibody Transfer Following Maternal Immunization With a Pandemic 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) MF59-Adjuvanted Vaccine

[tetano]

To the Editor: Pregnant women and their offspring are at increased risk for influenza-related complications.1 During the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, the estimated rate of admission for complications in pregnant women was 4 times higher than in the general population, accounting for 13% of all A(H1N1) deaths.2 Childhood deaths associated with influenza A(H1N1) were most frequent in infants younger than 6 months.3 Influenza vaccination appears to be both safe and effective in pregnant women and elicits an antibody response comparable with age-matched, nonpregnant control participants,4 which could result in the passive transfer of sufficient antibody to protect their infants for the duration of the influenza season.5-6

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibody presence in women immunized with a pandemic influenza A(H1N1) MF59-adjuvanted vaccine during pregnancy and to assess the duration of passively acquired maternal antibodies in their infants.

Methods

In October and November 2009, 75 consecutive women . . . [Full Text of this Article]

GianVincenzo Zuccotti, MD
gianvincenzo.zuccotti@unimi.it

Laura Pogliani, MD
Department of Pediatrics

Elena Pariani, PhD; Antonella Amendola, PhD; Alessandro Zanetti, PhD
Department of Public Health, Microbiology and Virology
Universit? degli Studi di Milano
Milan, Italy

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/304/21/2360