Mothers-to-be who don't get flu jab 'putting babies at risk'

Published on Thursday 10 December 2009 21:39

THOUSANDS of pregnant women are putting the health of their unborn babies at risk by failing to get vaccinated against swine flu, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon warned yesterday.

Only a third of expectant mothers have come forward for the H1N1 jab, according to figures released by the Scottish Government yesterday.

Now doctors have been ordered to concentrate more effort in getting pregnant women into surgeries for the vaccine.

Ms Sturgeon said: "We know that pregnant women are more at risk of developing complications if they contract this illness, and vaccination will protect not only them but their unborn baby.

"Health boards and GP surgeries are continuing to focus their efforts to ensure that they are all offered the jag by Christmas."

Ms Sturgeon's call echoes that issued by the mother of swine flu victim Marianne Johnston, 20, who died with the bug just four weeks after giving birth.

Ms Johnston's mother, Christine, from Clydebank, told how her daughter may have lived if she had been vaccinated.

The government revealed figures for uptake of the swine flu vaccination among "at-risk groups" yesterday.

The uptake rate for people under 65 in a clinical at-risk group is 33.2 per cent. In those aged 65 and over in an at-risk group, the rate is 20.3 per cent.

For pregnant women, a total of 36.7 per cent have had the jab.

A total of just 25 per cent of people in at-risk groups have been vaccinated.

The warning from Ms Sturgeon came as figures appeared to show that the swine flu pandemic is receding in Scotland.

Health Protection Scotland officials estimate that about 8,900 people have contracted H1N1 in the past week, down from 12,300 the previous week. The rate of GP consultations for flu-like illnesses – not necessarily H1N1 – across Scotland also fell from 97 per 100,000 people to 95.

As of 9 December, 1,344 people with swine flu have been hospitalised since the start of the outbreak, 70 of them in the past week.

A total of 54 people have died after catching swine flu in Scotland.

Research findings were also released yesterday that showed that the swine flu pandemic had been "considerably less lethal than was feared in advance".

In England, there were 26 deaths for every 100,000 cases – a fatality rate of just 0.026 per cent.

The research, led by England's Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson, showed that the swine flu fatality rate compares well with the three major 20th century influenza pandemics.

The death rate for the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak was 2 to 3 per cent of those infected.

Later flu pandemics, in 1957-8 and 1967-8, had death rates of about 0.2 per cent.

Sir Liam said: "Improvements in nutritional status, housing and health care availability might explain some of the apparent decrease in case fatality from one pandemic to the next.

"The first influenza pandemic of the 21st century is considerably less lethal than was feared."