Pregnancy is a crucial time in a woman’s life. Her child’s health, well-being, longevity and immunity everything depends on how she treats herself during these nine months and what precautions she takes. Apart from the usual – diet, exercise, sleep and taking prenatal vitamins regularly it is essential for the pregnant women to also follow a proper vaccination guide. There are certain vaccinations that an expectant mother needs to take during pregnancy. These vaccinations ensure protection from infections to both mother and baby. Read to know why a tetanus vaccine is necessary during pregnancy.
Worldwide, almost 700,000 children less than one month of age die each year due to infectious diseases such as pneumonia or sepsis. Immunization during pregnancy has emerged as an important and successful public health intervention in both industrialized and developing countries. Immunization during pregnancy has the potential to protect the mother and the infant against vaccine-preventable diseases. Newborn infants are at high-risk for significant illness and death from certain infectious diseases because their immune system has not fully developed. One aim of vaccinating pregnant women is to increase the amount of maternal antibody (proteins that fight disease) transferred to infants, potentially protecting them from infectious disease. This is why vaccinations during pregnancy are so important. Vaccination during pregnancy is a cost-effective strategy to improve pregnancy outcomes in India. Thus, the underlying reason is to get new mothers get immunized well in time so as to avoid any encounter to infections which may affect the baby inside the womb, thereby affecting the overall neonatal health of the nation.
This is why expectant mothers need to be educated about vaccinations. Most vaccinations given during pregnancy are FDA approved and tested for their efficacy and safety. We spoke to Dr Ajay Gambhir, President, National Neonatology Forum of India to know which vaccines are the most essential ones for expectant mothers. Here he shares a list:
Hepatitis B: A Hepatitis B vaccination when given to the mother protects both the mother and baby against the infection before and after the delivery. Pregnant women who are at high risk of this disease but are tested negative for the same should take this vaccination. Three doses are given to the mother to gain immunity from the Hepatitis B virus. The 2nd and 3rd doses are given 1 and 6 months after the first dose.
Influenza (Inactivated): This vaccination can prevent a bout of influenza in the mother during pregnancy. However, this is an optional vaccine and one can have a detailed discussion with the doctor before taking a flu shot. It is usually offered to women who get pregnant during the flu season as a women’s immunity hits an all-time low during this time. Did you know taking a flu shot can half your risk of stillbirth?
Tetanus: Tetanus affects a person’s nervous system and can be fatal. However, vaccinations can help to prevent this deadly disease. The antibodies formed in the body after the vaccination is passed on to the child to give her protection in the womb and also for few months after birth. In fact, it is a compulsion to take the vaccination to protect yourself and your child from bacterial infections. Read to know if you should worry if you have missed a tetanus shot.
Diphtheria/Pertussis: These vaccinations are recommended during pregnancy to protect both the mother and the child from these infections.
Is it safe to get vaccinated during pregnancy?
‘Many people still harbour this myth that vaccinations during pregnancy can harm the baby. But avoiding the vaccinations can, in fact, risk both maternal and foetal wellbeing. Of course, all vaccines are not suitable for pregnant women especially the live-virus vaccines. A live-virus vaccine that is made of live strains of a virus can be harmful to a baby. Such vaccines, if required, should be given to the mother either three months before pregnancy or immediately after childbirth,’ says Dr Gambhir.
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