Brief Influenza Vaccine Education to Pregnant Women

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Educational Intervention to Increase Uptake of Influenza Vaccine Among Pregnant Women

The investigators will conduct a brief educational intervention to pregnant women who have not yet received the influenza vaccine in this pregnancy to improve the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccine.

Usual outpatient antenatal care consists of routine checking of the maternal and foetal health by either clinic midwives or obstetricians along with health education to promote a healthy pregnancy.

The intervention group will receive a brief 5 to 10-minute educational talk by research nurse explaining the facts of influenza and influenza vaccine and answering participant questions.

The intervention will include a brief 5 to 10-minute educational talk by research nurse explaining the facts of influenza and influenza vaccine and answering participant questions. The educational intervention will focus on: (1) Hong Kong government's recommendation regarding influenza vaccine during pregnancy, (2) potential complications associated with influenza during pregnancy and for young infants, (3) safety of influenza vaccine for mother and foetus, and (4) potential benefits of influenza vaccine for mother and infant, and (5) where and how to get the influenza vaccine in Hong Kong.

The influenza and influenza vaccine knowledge of participants in the control and intervention groups after receiving the intervention.

the proportion of participants initiating discussion about influenza vaccine with their health care provider

Inclusion Criteria: singleton pregnancy 18 years of age or older in at least the second trimester of pregnancy Cantonese speaking Hong Kong resident no serious medical or obstetrical complications have not yet received the influenza vaccine in this pregnancy staying in Hong Kong for at least two weeks after delivery. Exclusion Criteria: not entitled to health benefits in Hong Kong (NEP)

Wong VWY, Fong DYT, Lok KYW, Wong JYH, Sing C, Choi AY, Yuen CYS, Tarrant M. Brief education to promote maternal influenza vaccine uptake: A randomized controlled trial. Vaccine. 2016 Oct 17;34(44):5243-5250. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.09.019. Epub 2016 Sep 22.

Wong VW, Fong DY, Tarrant M. Brief education to increase uptake of influenza vaccine among pregnant women: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014 Jan 14;14:19. doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-14-19.