Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination

Short Note on Vaccination during Pregnancy

Paul Munoz^* Department of Vaccinology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
^*Correspondence: Paul Munoz, Department of Vaccinology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, Email:

Received: 01-Oct-2021 Published: 22-Oct-2021, DOI: 10.35248/2157-7560.21.s15.e002

Description

Usually, vaccines that contain inactivated viruses can be recommended during pregnancy and vaccines that have live viruses aren't prescribeded for pregnant women. Women who are pregnant during flu season, the flu shot is recommended for them. This is made up of an inactivated virus, so it's safe for both mother and baby. Pregnant women should avoid the influenza nasal spray vaccine, which is made from a live virus. Tetanus toxoid condensed diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine. Single dose of Tdap vaccine is suggested during each pregnancy to protect the newborn from whooping cough. Ideally, the vaccine should be given between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.

During pregnancy, getting the flu shot and the Tdap vaccine can protect the mother from infection and also the baby after birth before he or she can be vaccinated. This is important because the flu and whooping cough is very dangerous for infants.

Health care providers recommend to avoid vaccines those having live viruses during pregnancy because they pose a theoretical risk. Vaccines to avoid during pregnancy include:

• Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine

• Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine

• Shingles vaccine

COVID-19 vaccines presently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are recommended for pregnant and lactating women as well as those trying or planning to become pregnant.

If the doctor thinks a pregnant woman may be at risk, he may recommend Hepatitis A and B vaccinations, Meningitis, Pneumonia, Tetanus, diphtheria and Tdap vaccination.

If the person is at high risk for serious contaminations because of travel outside, doctor may recommend below vaccinations during pregnancy:

• Anthrax: This disease is caused by bacteria. It can be found in soil, and people can get very sick when they come in contact with it. Anthrax is a rare disease and it’s not contaminated.

• Japanese encephalitis: This spreads through infected mosquitoes. This disease leads to swelling of the brain. It kills 1 in 4 people who get infected.

• Polio: This disease is caused by a virus which infects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Lasting disabilities are also caused by polio virus.

• Rabies: Rabies is a kind of disease which is caused by a bite from infected animal and is a serious disease that can cause death.

• Typhoid: Typhoid is a severe disease and very common in most of the world. It can cause high fever and internal bleeding in rare cases which leads to death.

• Smallpox: Smallpox is a disease caused by a virus. It can spread from person to person, causing a rash and rarely death. Person who have been exposed to smallpox, only the need to vaccinate for smallpox. There have been no cases of smallpox in the United States since 1949 because of vaccinations.

• Yellow fever: This disease contaminates by infected mosquitoes and caused by a virus. Sometimes, it causes high fever, bleeding, organ failure and death.

• COVID-19: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), pregnant and breastfeeding people may choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available to them.

Conclusion

In pregnancy vaccination can provide protection for pregnant women and their infants against a number of pathogens. There are national and international recommendations for influenza, pertussis and tetanus. There are some conditions in which some vaccinations may be considered in pregnancy, for example in a specific place where there is a high occurrence of a disease, in an outbreak, before foreign travel.