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Oral poliovirus vaccination and pregnancy complications
T Harjulehto-Mervaala1, T Hovi, T Aro
1Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Background:
To determine whether the effect of live attenuated oral polio virus vaccine given to pregnant women increases pregnancy complications.
Methods:
A study of women who had been vaccinated against poliovirus during a national vaccination campaign and who had delivered by cesarean section in three obstetrical hospitals in southern Finland. One thousand seven hundred and forty-seven vaccinated women (in three study cohorts), and their 2293 nonvaccinated controls (in two reference cohorts) were analyzed. Subjects are out of 22,000 deliveries evaluated earlier.
Results:
Vaccinated sectioned women did not show an excess of pregnancy complications. The mean rate of cesarean sections was 18.4% in the study cohorts and 18.9% in the reference cohorts counted from the 22,000 deliveries.
Conclusions:
Oral live attenuated polio virus vaccine does not increase pregnancy complications and is considered a safe alternative for vaccinating pregnant women.