Pregnancy

Vaccinations before and during pregnancy.

Why is it important to be vaccinated for certain diseases before pregnancy and what would it be advisable to get vaccinated during pregnancy to protect our health and that of the baby we are carrying?

Why get vaccinated against seasonal flu or get the pertussis vaccine during pregnancy?

We interviewed Dr. Rizzo Caterina, an epidemiologist at the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità .

1)  A woman who wishes to have a baby what type of vaccinations should she get before pregnancy and at what times?

Before planning a pregnancy it is very important to know your immune status against some vaccine-preventable diseases: diseases such as rubella , chicken pox, measles and hepatitis B can, in fact, cause malformations and problems for the fetus depending on the gestational age in which they are contracted.

Rubella, for example, has much more serious consequences if it is contracted at the beginning of pregnancy and can cause malformations to several organs, even vital ones, such as the heart. Infections, however, such as chickenpox pass the placenta and cause malformations (for example in the limbs) in a small percentage of cases, but the risk exists.

It is very important to carry out and complete the booster shots of these vaccines at least one month before conception, especially for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

Influenza vaccination in pregnancy 

When is the flu vaccine recommended in pregnancy?

Women in the second and third trimesters of gestation have been shown to have an increased risk of flu-related complications due to immunosuppression. Therefore (according to the indications of the Ministry of Health of November 2019 and the relative table below) the flu vaccination is recommended for women in good health and with pre-existing risk conditions who will be pregnant during the flu season ( December-March).

Are there any contraindications?

As with all vaccines, there are contraindications. If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after receiving a previous dose or component of the vaccine, then the vaccine is contraindicated. If, on the other hand, you are breastfeeding or suffer from non-severe allergies (e.g. contact allergies), the vaccine can be administered without any particular precautions.

The side effects of the flu vaccine are usually mild and go away on their own within a few days. The most common are: redness and / or swelling of the vaccine injection site, headache, fever, nausea, body aches. In this case it is good to rest and in a short time the symptoms will disappear

Is it true that it won’t protect me from all types of seasonal flu?

The vaccine protects against the flu viruses contained in the vaccine. Unfortunately, flu viruses can change and in this case the vaccine may not protect adequately. However, it should be remembered that during the flu season, with flu viruses, numerous respiratory viruses circulate (respiratory syncytial virus, para-flu, adenovirus, etc.) which give symptoms comparable to flu but against which the vaccine does not protect.

If I am not immune to the pertussis virus   and I am pregnant

Why should I get vaccinated? 

Pertussis contracted in the first few months of a child’s life can be very serious or even fatal, the source of infection can often be the mother, or a little brother or sister, and the protection passively conferred on the child by mothers who have had the disease or who have been vaccinated many years ago is not sufficient to guarantee the protection of the newborn. For these reasons, vaccinating the mother in the last weeks of pregnancy allows the passive transfer of antibodies capable of protecting the newborn until the moment the vaccination cycle ends.

When is it possible to get the vaccine?

In the third trimester of each pregnancy (ideally 28th week)

Is the vaccine safe?

The vaccine has been shown to be safe for both pregnant women and the fetus.

Is the vaccine at my expense? Who should I contact?

The vaccine is offered free of charge by the national health system, just go to the vaccination service to get it.

Vaccination table in pregnancy and in the puerperium

In November 2019, the Ministry of Health published a new circular on vaccinations during pregnancy and the puerperium . The news concern the ideal times for vaccination against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis ranging from the 27th to the 36th week of gestation, ideally around the 28th week. Another important novelty is that of vaccination against the flu,  which is now recommended at any stage of pregnancy.

Dr Kathryn Barlow

Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.

Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *