A committee opinion from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) addressed influenza vaccination during pregnancy.

In the paper, ACOG states, “The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the ACOGs recommend that all adults receive an annual influenza vaccine. Influenza vaccination is an essential element of preconception, prenatal, and postpartum care because pregnant women are at an increased risk of serious illness due to seasonal and pandemic influenza. It is critically important that all OB-GYNs and all providers of obstetric care advocated for influenza vaccination, provide the influenza vaccine to their pregnant patients, and receive the influenza vaccine themselves every season.”

Furthermore, the paper reads, “The inactivated influenza vaccine can be given to pregnant women at any point during gestation.”

With statements like that, you would think that the flu vaccine had been thoroughly studied in pregnant women, and shown to decrease the incidence of the flu.

Well, think again. Unbelievably, there has never been a randomized, controlled flu study in pregnant women.

Nobody is denying that pregnant women are at a higher risk for the flu. Influenza during pregnancy must be taken seriously.

If the vaccine was effective at significantly decreasing incidence of the flu — as long as it did not cause serious adverse effects — I would agree that pregnant women should be vaccinated.

The problem is that the powers that be continually state that all pregnant women should be vaccinated.

The data simply do not support that conclusion.