Seasonal influenza is slowly making its way through the country, and pregnant women are at increasing risk for flu-related complications. In an interview with Medscape, Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, director of the Office of Public Health Emergency Response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), highlights the impact of influenza in pregnancy on mothers and babies and the important message that pregnant women should be vaccinated to prevent influenza-associated risks, as well as discusses recommendations for treating pregnant women who contract seasonal influenza. Recently, Dr. Sonja Rasmussen and Dr. Denise Jamieson published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine discussing how to protect pregnant women and infants with the flu. Pregnant women are often unaware that they are at high risk for flu-related complications. Changes in the immune system and cardiorespiratory function during pregnancy make pregnant women more susceptible to serious illness and even death when they get the flu. 1. Influenza Prevention in Pregnancy Pregnant women are often unaware of the benefits of the flu vaccine for their babies.The CDC recommends that people 6 months of age and older should routinely receive the flu vaccine each year. Influenza vaccination is the best protection against influenza available. Flu vaccination during pregnancy not only reduces the risk of influenza virus infection in pregnant women, it also reduces the incidence of influenza in infants up to 6 months of age. Because infants under 6 months of age are still too young to be vaccinated against the flu, they are at high risk. In addition, studies have shown that vaccinated pregnant women can reduce the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as intrauterine fetal growth retardation and preterm labor. The inactivated flu vaccine is safe for pregnant women and can be given after the third trimester. Live attenuated influenza vaccine (live attenuated, or nasal spray) is not recommended during pregnancy. Millions of pregnant women have been vaccinated over the years, and to date the flu vaccine has not been shown to harm pregnant women or babies. As a healthcare provider, your advice and the availability of the flu vaccine are key to the vaccination of pregnant women. Doctors should inform pregnant women of the risk of flu-related complications and the fact that flu vaccination during pregnancy protects against influenza viruses for up to 6 months after the baby is born, increasing the number of pregnant women who receive this vaccine. 2. Treatment of influenza during pregnancy If a pregnant woman is suspected of having influenza, she should be treated promptly with antiviral therapy. When a pregnant woman is diagnosed with or suspected of having influenza, she should be given oseltamivir as soon as possible, whether or not she is in early pregnancy. Experts currently recommend that pregnant women receive the same antiviral dose as non-pregnant women. Physicians should base treatment on clinical evaluation, not due to the limited sensitivity of rapid flu diagnostic tests. Ideally, antiviral therapy should be started within 48 h of symptom onset. Therefore, pregnant women should be encouraged to seek early medical attention at the onset of influenza symptoms, even if treatment is administered 48 h after symptom onset, which seems to be of great benefit to pregnant women. Available data suggest that oseltamivir use during pregnancy does not harm the fetus.