Pregnant women with swine flu 10 times more likely to need intensive care

London, Nov 3: A top health expert in the UK has said that swine flu infected pregnant women may need nearly 10 times more intensive care than their healthy counterparts.

Answering questions in a live webchat on mumsnet.com, an online mothers' forum, Dr David Salisbury, the head of immunisation at the Department of Health said pregnant women are at a greater risk from the
deadly flu according to World Health Organisation (WHO) figures.

He said the WHO data showed that nearly seven to ten percent of swine flu patients in hospitals are women in their second or third trimester.

The figures also reveal that between five percent and 30 percent of swine flue deaths are among pregnant women or those who have recently given birth.

When asked about the effect of vaccines on pregnant women, Dr Salisbury said tests done on pregnant animals had been successful and no complications had arisen.

He was also quick to point out that 90 women had become pregnant shortly after the administration of GlaxoSmithKline's vaccine, Pandemrix and 50 of them had even given birth to normal babies.

According to Dr Salisbury babies born to women vaccinated against seasonal flu in their third trimester were also protected against the disease.

"Pregnant women are particularly at risk of complications from swine flu. Vaccination is the best protection against the virus and we strongly urge pregnant women to have the vaccine when it's offered to them. GPs will be calling patients up over the next few weeks," the Telegraph quoted a Department of Health spokesman, as saying.

--ANI