Pharmacy Daily | Take a lead on pregnancy vaccination

AGAINST a worrying trend of decreasing rates of vaccination among pregnant women (PD 31 Jan), and with free RSV vaccines now available for pregnant women (PD 20 Jan), the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) has highlighted the important role of pharmacists in vaccinating pregnant women - not only against RSV, but other vaccine-preventable diseases.

"Pharmacists are trusted and readily accessible healthcare professionals, making them perfectly placed to champion pregnancy vaccination," said IFA CEO Catherine Hughes (pictured with Health Minister Mark Butler).

"They offer convenient access to both the information expectant mums need and the jabs themselves," Hughes told Pharmacy Daily.

"This trusted access and convenient service helps pregnant women feel safe and empowered to protect themselves and their bubs, giving their little ones the best start in life."

Hughes' baby Riley passed away after contracting whooping cough when he was one month old, and she has since been a major advocate around vaccinating children and our most vulnerable.

Her advocacy has won awards, and in 2022 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to immunisation.

"The recent drop in pregnancy vaccination rates is deeply concerning, especially as we are in the midst of a whooping cough epidemic, where we have already seen one infant death in Queensland late last year," she said.

While fear of immunisation side effects is part of the story, and IFA has noticed an increase in concerns and questions about vaccine safety since the rollout of COVID vaccines, there are other factors at play.

"It's tempting to blame this decline on vaccine hesitancy, but we have to think about complacency and access issues too.

"Are we motivating parents to vaccinate during pregnancy? Are we providing the right education about the risks of infectious diseases? And do parents have easy - and free - access to pregnancy vaccines, or is it difficult to obtain?"

"Pregnancy is a busy time, and it's easy to become complacent.

"Providers need to act as strong advocates for immunisation, providing clear recommendations while enabling easy access to immunisations," she said.

With the introduction of a new pregnancy vaccine for RSV, Hughes said it is imperative that both community and providers feel confident in the safety and benefits of this immunisation strategy.

IFA has collaborated with TerryWhite Chemmart for several years, educating and promoting pregnancy vaccination, with a formal partnership announced last year (PD 07 Nov 2024).

In addition to the RSV vaccine, pertussis (whooping cough) which is given between 20-32 weeks and influenza (usually given during flu season) vaccines are recommended for pregnant women, as is a chat with their healthcare provider about whether they could benefit from a COVID vaccine during pregnancy.

"Pregnancy vaccination is the best gift you can give to your unborn baby," Hughes said.

"As parents, we all want to protect our kids, and if we vaccinate during pregnancy, we are providing protection to them right from their very first breath.

"I've spoken to many families like mine, who have lost infants to whooping cough, and we all wish for the same thing - that we'd had access to pregnancy vaccination." KB