The vaccines you need during pregnancy

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Being vaccinated against influenza can reduce the chances of a pregnant woman hospitalizing because of the flu by around 40%, according to a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Previous research suggests that Tdap, the adult vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, can reduce the risk of a baby getting whooping cough in the first two months of life by 78%.

Influenza vaccine and Tdap are recommended during pregnancy. However, according to a survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about half of pregnant women have received these vaccines during the 2017/2018 influenza season.

This is a problem, say CDC officials. "Even in a relatively mild season, thousands of women are hospitalized for pregnancy complications," says Mark Thompson, Ph.D., an epidemiologist with the CDC's influenza division and lead author of the new study. "When these hospitalizations occur, it puts the mother at risk, the baby too."

And a case of whooping cough can be fatal for infants: about half of infants under one year old who contract the disease are hospitalized and one in every 100 dies.

Women are advised to avoid taking many medications during pregnancy and some may also fear shots during this time. But scientists say these two vaccines are both important and safe. Here's what you need to know.

The vaccine against influenza during pregnancy

An influenza vaccine is recommended for every pregnancy and it is safe to worry. If you are pregnant before the start of the influenza season, try to be vaccinated by the end of October to protect yourself before the season gains ground.

The influenza vaccine during pregnancy will protect your baby from the flu during the first six months of his life, before he is old enough to be vaccinated.

But it's also essential for future moms. Pregnant women are much more likely than their non-pregnant counterparts to develop a serious complication, such as a high fever, pneumonia or sepsis, or even death, if they contract the flu.

The main reason is that the immune system can not fight infections as easily during pregnancy as it protects the fetus as well as the mother, says Laura Riley, MD, obstetrician and chief gynecologist in New York-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell. Medical Center.

In addition, "Not only are you more likely to get sick, but we also know that women who develop a serious viral infection and have a prolonged fever are at increased risk of premature birth," Riley adds.

If you're worried that the vaccine might hurt you or hurt your baby, many studies over the years have shown that it was safe and that it could not cause the flu for one. of you (although this may cause temporary side effects, such as arm pain or low fever).

But note: get vaccinated against the flu, not the nasal spray flu vaccine, which is made from a live attenuated (or weakened) virus. Vaccines containing live attenuated viruses are not recommended for pregnant women.

About pertussis vaccine

Pregnant women should receive a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy, between 27 and 36 weeks, according to the CDC.

According to Jeanne Sheffield, MD, director of whooping cough division, whooping cough, a bacterial disease that can cause severe coughing or up to 10 weeks or more, is generally not more serious during pregnancy than during an adult maternal and fetal medicine and professor in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

But this can be very dangerous for infants and babies do not begin to receive the DTaP series – the childhood diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine – before the age of 2 months.

"Infected infants can develop pneumonia, seizures, encephalopathy and death," says Sheffield.

Tdap is safe for pregnant women and their babies, according to a lot of research.

Are there any other vaccines that you should get?

Tdap and influenza are the only vaccines recommended for all pregnant women, but some people may need additional vaccines – so consult your doctor.

Women who have been exposed to hepatitis B, for example, should be vaccinated against this disease.

If you plan to travel abroad during your pregnancy, ask if you should be vaccinated against common diseases in your area.

Finally, if you become pregnant and miss any vaccine you should have received during your childhood, such as a dose of MMR, the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, ask your doctor if you need to get treatment.

These can be administered immediately after delivery, which will prevent you from getting sick and if you are breastfeeding, you transmit antibodies to these diseases through breast milk.

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