Due to the rebound in cases of pertussis in recent years and the recommendation to vaccinate all pregnant women, doubts arise about what are the vaccines that the pregnant woman should get to prevent diseases that may put the baby at risk.
The main concern is whether vaccination in pregnancy is safe, so we'll talk about which vaccines are recommended before and during pregnancy to prevent preventable diseases.
Vaccines before pregnancy
Vaccination is important as part of pregnancy planning. So, if you are thinking of having a baby, check your immunization record to make sure you are protected against major diseases, and in case any of the vaccines is missing, administer it before becoming pregnant.
During pregnancy live virus vaccines should not be applied, because the risk of transmission of the vaccine virus to the fetus cannot be ruled out. Although it does not seem adequately proven in existing studies, they are contraindicated during pregnancy.
Therefore, it is recommended that at the time of becoming pregnant the woman is immunized against rubella, whose vaccine also includes protection against mumps and measles, and if it has not yet passed, also against chickenpox.
Rubella infection in a pregnant woman can cause serious problems in the fetus with consequences for a lifetime and even death. In the case of chickenpox, it is also very dangerous for the fetus that the woman becomes infected during pregnancy, either in the first weeks or at a more advanced stage of pregnancy. As we explain here in more detail, neonatal chickenpox reaches a lethality of 30%.
Vaccines during pregnancy
Once pregnant, and knowing that you have all the necessary vaccines to prevent infections that can cause damage to your baby, there are two immunizations especially indicated during pregnancy:
Flu Vaccine in Pregnancy
In addition to the logical measures, which include not approaching people with colds or flu, washing their hands frequently and staying in well-ventilated places and away from crowds, prevention involves getting a flu virus vaccine.
The flu vaccine does not usually have side effects beyond those typical of any vaccine (fever, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, ...) and helps prevent a woman from contracting the disease. In case of infection, because no vaccine is 100% effective, the risk of complications from the disease decreases.
If you get the flu, a pregnant woman has an 18 percent higher risk of complications than a woman who is not. Therefore, from international organizations such as WHO or CDC as well as the Ministry of Health and different scientific societies, they recommend that all pregnant women get a flu shot, especially if they are going to give birth during the winter months.
In addition, the vaccine also serves the baby, because it protects it from birth to the sixth month of life. As newborns, as we have said, are part of the population group with the highest risk of complications, it is a fact to take into account when making the decision to get vaccinated.
Vaccine against whooping cough in pregnancy
The rebound in cases in recent years has alerted health authorities who recommend vaccinating all pregnant women against pertussis. In Spain, all the autonomous communities have launched a vaccination plan in the last weeks of pregnancy.
Given the limited protection of this vaccine, should be applied in the last weeks of pregnancy, in order to cover the period from the birth of the baby until he reaches two months of age, which is when he will receive the first dose of the triple viral vaccine (combined with that of tetanus and diphtheria) that is repeated at 4 and 6 months.
The vaccine can be given to every pregnant woman after 28 weeks of gestation, and up to week 38. The recommendation is to make it at least two weeks before delivery, to allow synthesis and passage through the placenta of protective antibodies.
Pregnant women do not have enough protective antibodies against pertussis to effectively transmit them transplacentally to their newborn children during pregnancy or through breastfeeding, so they do not confer sufficient protection against infection during those first months of life.
When the pregnant woman is vaccinated, the antibodies pass through the placenta, protecting the baby by 90% against the disease during the first weeks of life until she can receive the vaccine.
Can they be administered together?
Both vaccines can be administered at the same visit. But, attention, a very important clarification to keep in mind that makes us from the Committee of Vaccines of the AEP: the indicated pertussis vaccine is the Tdpa type (Boostrix and Triaxis) only. The DTPa (Infanrix) vaccine that you cite is not indicated in people older than 7 years, and therefore in pregnant women it is contraindicated.
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More information | Aepap and AEP Immunization Committee
In Babies and more | Vaccines during pregnancy, It is recommended to vaccinate all pregnant women against whooping cough, but where is the vaccine?
