Pandemic A/H1N1 Influenza Vaccination or Infection During Pregnancy and Offspring Autoimmune Outcomes.

Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Vaccination or Infection During Pregnancy and Offspring Autoimmune Outcomes. While the safety of influenza vaccination in pregnancy is well established for both mothers and babies around the time of birth, only a limited number of studies have evaluated children's health beyond six months of age. Similarly, although there is evidence that viral infection is associated with some autoimmune diseases in children and adults, the impact of influenza infection during pregnancy on later health of the children is under-studied. We will conduct a study which includes all babies born in Ontario between April 1, 2009 through October 31, 2011 using the province's birth registry. This registry contains records of all babies born in the province and identifies which mothers received the 2009 pandemic influenza vaccine (H1N1) during pregnancy. We will link these birth records with other healthcare databases to find out which mothers had influenza during pregnancy during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic time period. We will also use the healthcare databases to find out which children developed autoimmune diseases in the future, up to 10 years of age, looking at the potential impact of maternal infection and vaccination on these outcomes.!~~!Examining the long-term implications of influenza infection or influenza vaccination during pregnancy will help support pregnant women's decisions on vaccination during pregnancy.