VACCINES RECOMMENDED IN PREGNANCY
Current guidelines recommend that pregnant women are offered a booster of Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis Vaccination(whooping cough); flu vaccine and covid 19 vaccine during pregnancy.
During pregnancy the immune system is weaker than usual and women are at an increased risk of catching infections and more likely to suffer complications.
When a woman is vaccinated she produces antibodies to the disease, these in turn transfer to her unborn child and in doing so protect her baby in the early weeks of life when the baby is most susceptible to infection
THE CORONAVIRUS VACCINE AND PREGNANCY
The coronavirus vaccine is recommended in pregnancy. If a woman contracts covid in pregnancy she is at increased risk of complications herself, but also increases the risk of premature labour, a low birthweight baby and stillbirth.
When the mother receives the vaccine her body makes antibodies which pass to her unborn child and provide protection for the baby in the first few weeks of life.
It is also advisable for the Mothers partner to be vaccinated.
WHOOPING COUGH VACCINE
The whooping cough vaccine is offered to pregnant women to help protect their baby against whooping cough (also known as pertussis). Getting the vaccine will protect your baby from birth, before they start their routine childhood immunisations. The whooping cough vaccine is given with tetanus and diptheria as a triple vaccine.
Babies under one year of age are most at risk from whooping cough. For these babies, the disease is very serious and can lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage. In the worst cases, it can be life threatening.
Getting immunised during pregnancy will help protect your baby in the first few vulnerable weeks of life until they are old enough to have the routine immunisation at around 8 weeks of age.
Breastfeeding or giving your baby breastmilk does not offer enough protection from whooping cough
Immunisation is recommended between the 16th-32nd week of your pregnancy. The whooping cough vaccine is recommended every time you are pregnant, so even if you’ve had the vaccine in a previous pregnancy.
It is also recommended for close family members to get a booster before the baby arrives.
FLU VACCINE
The flu vaccine is recommended to women who are pregnant during the winter season, or flu season. Pregnant women are more likely to get flu complications than women who are not pregnant and more likely to be admitted to hospital.
VACCINES THAT ARE NOT USUALLY ADVISED IN PREGNANCY
Live vaccines are not usually advised in pregnancy. These include:
BCG (vaccination against tuberculosis)
MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
oral polio (which forms part of the 6-in-1 vaccine given to infants)
oral typhoid
yellow fever
Sometimes, a live vaccine may be used during pregnancy if the risk of infection is greater than the risk of the vaccination.
The information provided here is supported by recommendations from the World Health Organisation.
Further references and reading can be found below.
REFERENCES
