Vaccinations are important both before and during pregnancy

Immunization of a mother both before and during pregnancy is important to protect both the baby and the mother. Pregnancy renders the immune system less active by design, so that it does not recognize the baby as something that doesn’t belong in the body. Unfortunately, the pregnant woman is then more likely to contract an illness during pregnancy and more likely to be seriously affected by that illness.

Babies are born with no immunities except for the antibodies passed by its mother while still in the uterus. Some vaccines can be given at birth, but others have to be given a little later as the baby’s immune system matures.

Some vaccines can and should be given during a pregnancy, while others, specifically the ones containing live viral particles, should not be given. For this reason, it is best to see a doctor before pregnancy to assess immunity and receive any vaccines that are needed. Common vaccines in this category are the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella,) and the varicella (chickenpox).

Once pregnancy is established, women should receive the flu vaccine if they will be pregnant during influenza season, and the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) regardless of time of year. After delivery, the MMR and varicella vaccines can be given if indicated.

Influenza is a respiratory illness that is seen in the United States from October through May. It affects pregnant women more severely than non-pregnant women. Infants also are at risk because they can’t receive the vaccine until 6 months of age. Women who will be pregnant during flu season should receive the inactivated vaccine. Despite common myths, this vaccine cannot cause the flu, and it can protect the mother and unborn baby, as well as improve the baby’s immunity after birth.

Tdap is a combination of vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough). Every year we see a larger outbreak of pertussis, and many affected are infants 3 months of age or less. Often the baby is exposed by a family member whose immunity has waned due to lack of maintaining booster vaccines every 10 years. Pertussis is often a mild illness in an adult, but can be deadly to a new baby.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends receiving Tdap during every pregnancy, regardless of prior vaccine history. The best time is between 27 and 36 weeks gestation, but any time is acceptable. The goal is to allow the mother’s immune system to make antibodies to pass to the baby, in hopes of giving the newborn better protection during those initial months before the baby’s vaccines can safely be given.

Make sure that family and close contacts of the baby are up to date on their vaccines. Everyone should have a flu vaccine during flu season and Tdap if not received in the past 10 years. Also ask about childhood immunizations and whether anyone in contact with the baby has been vaccinated. If they can’t remember, they should see their physician. Many people have less than adequate immunity to measles, as we have seen in recent outbreaks.

Vaccines have been proven very safe and extremely beneficial. Not only do vaccines prevent disease in the person vaccinated, they provide something we refer to as “herd immunity” in the population. By decreasing chances of diseases in a group of people, those who can’t be vaccination for medical reasons or those who have altered immune systems due to disease can be protected by the immunity of the people around them.

The myth that vaccines cause autism is just that, a myth. This myth stemmed from a study published many years ago that was proven not only inaccurate, but also fraudulent. The author acknowledged this and retracted his statements; however, this inaccurate information lives on the Internet forever so be cautious.

This story was originally published August 18, 2018 at 10:13 PM.