Vaccinations and Pregnancy Safety

Vaccinations and Pregnancy Safety 

The best time to talk about vaccinations is during a visit with your doctor before you get pregnant. If you get vaccinated before pregnancy then you and your baby are protected during pregnancy.

Some infections can harm your baby if you are exposed to them while you are pregnant, and in some cases, the vaccine that prevents the infection may also be harmful. In many cases, experts don’t know whether it is riskier to get a particular vaccine or not.

While you should avoid unnecessary risks during pregnancy, you also don’t want to open the door to any illnesses that may have dangerous consequences for both you and your baby. This is why it’s very important to talk to your health care provider about vaccinations.

Your doctor may tell you that the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh potential risks if all of the following are true:

• You are very likely to be exposed to a particular infection.
• The infection would pose a serious risk to you or your baby.
• The vaccine is unlikely to cause harm to you or your baby.
• If you are at an increased risk for infection, your doctor may suggest that you receive a vaccination that generally isn’t recommended during pregnancy.

Here are some examples of people who are often at increased risk of infection:

• Those who work in health care facilities
• Those who are traveling to areas where the infection is common
• Discuss each vaccine with your health care provider on a case-by-case basis and carefully weigh the risks and benefits of the protection that the vaccination will provide.

If you became pregnant within four weeks after your last vaccination, talk to your health care provider about whether or not the vaccination may affect the baby.

The US Department of health and Human Services recommends the following vaccines before pregnancy:

• Influenza/Flu
• HPV Human Papilloma Virus
• MMR Mumps Measles Rubella
• Tdap
• Varicella/Chickenpox
• Hepatitis B if you are at risk

Which vaccines can I receive while I am pregnant?

The following vaccines are recommended for all pregnant women:

• Influenza/Flu — This vaccine can prevent serious illness in the mother during pregnancy. You can receive the vaccine at any stage of your pregnancy.
• dTap Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis — This combination of vaccines is routinely recommended for pregnant women, both those who have never been immunized and those who have not received a booster in 10 years. We usually only give this in pregnancy when there has been trauma. If it has been more than 2 years since the last dT, you will be offered dTaP after pregnancy.

Which vaccines should pregnant women avoid?

The following vaccines should not be given during pregnancy:

• Hepatitis B — Pregnant women who are at high risk for this disease and have tested negative for the virus can receive this vaccine. It is used to protect the mother and baby against infection both before and after delivery.
• Hepatitis A — The safety of this vaccine hasn’t been determined and it should be avoided during pregnancy. Women at high risk for exposure to this virus should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors.
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) — Women should wait at least one month to become pregnant after receiving these live-virus vaccines. If the initial rubella test shows you are rubella non-immune, then you will be given the vaccine after delivery.
• Varicella — This vaccine, used to prevent chicken pox, should be given at least one month before pregnancy.
• Pneumococcal — Because the safety of this vaccine is unknown, it should be avoided in pregnancy except for women who are at high risk or have a chronic illness.
• Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) — Neither the live-virus (OPV) nor the inactivated-virus (IPV) version of this vaccine is recommended for pregnant women. Also, the risk of getting polio in the United States is very low.
• HPV- Human Papilloma Virus - Recommended up to age 26  
• BCG (tuberculosis) - 
• Meningoicoccal - 
• Nasal flu vaccine - 
• Typhoid -