Vaccinations/Immunizations During Pregnancy
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What is the latest information and update about vaccinations/Immunizations During Pregnancy ?
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@laura An essential component of preventative health care, immunization reduces the incidence and severity of vaccine-preventable diseases. Pregnant women and neonates are particularly vulnerable to infectious disease due to altered and underdeveloped immune responses. Vaccination in pregnancy provides maternal protection through active immunization, while passive maternal antibody transfer across the placenta to the developing fetus has the potential to protect neonates and infants. In 2008, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) established general principles on the immunization of pregnant and breastfeeding women and cited the following rationale for maternal immunizations: a) to protect the mother b) to protect the fetus c) to protect the neonate or d) to protect the young infant. [3] Growing evidence on the safety and efficacy of influenza and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) immunizations in pregnancy has highlighted maternal immunization as an important strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality in women and newborns.
All women, including women of reproductive age, should have their immunization history and eligibility assessed to ensure they have been immunized according to current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) adult immunization schedules, which are approved yearly by the ACIP. [1, 9] Although recommended routine adult immunizations are ideally administered prior to pregnancy, pregnant women should receive appropriate vaccines as indicated by age or risk factor. A caution is that some vaccines are contraindicated in pregnancy. Two vaccines are routinely recommended in pregnancy: influenza vaccine and the combined Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.
This article reviews CDC and ACIP recommendations for immunizations routinely recommended in the United States (US) before, during and after pregnancy, as well as those indicated in special situations. Immunizations contraindicated in pregnancy and considerations during breastfeeding are also reviewed.