Pregnancy and vaccination

The goals of vaccine prophylaxis at the stage of pregnancy planning and during the very period of wear and tear of the child are:

• Ensuring protection of expectant mothers from dangerous infections;

• Lowering the risk of miscarriage;

• Reducing the likelihood of developing intrauterine anomalies;

• Creation of passive immunity of the future child;

In this way, vaccinations made at the planning stage and during pregnancy not only protect future mothers from dangerous infections, but also prevent the development of intrauterine abnormalities of the fetus and at the same time provide the future child with passive immunity.

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Pregnancy and vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella

If a pregnant woman becomes infected during pregnancy, it can lead to miscarriage and premature birth. Such a risk is maximal in case of illness in the first trimester of pregnancy.

The relationship between measles and abnormalities in intrauterine development has not been found.

Measles acquired during the first trimester of pregnancy can lead to intrauterine death of the fetus. Some studies have found a correlation between mumps in pregnant women and heart problems in the child.

Rubella during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and intrauterine fetal death.

The maximum risk of such adverse events is observed when contracting rubella in the first month of pregnancy, when most women do not even suspect that they are expecting a child.

Congenital rubella in children, developing with the mother’s disease in later pregnancy, can lead to deafness, vision problems, heart defects, abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system and disorders of intellectual development.

The vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella is live and weakened, therefore it is contraindicated during pregnancy. Immunization should be done at least one month before the expected conception.

General practitioners also usually recommend a complete blood count to ensure that the mother-to-be has antibodies against these diseases, even if she is vaccinated according to the national immunization schedule.

It should be noted that in women vaccinated immediately before conception or already during pregnancy, no increased risk of the diseases and complications mentioned above was observed.

However, despite these results, vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella is recommended to be carried out no less than 3 months before the planned pregnancy, but, as stated above, a minimum of 1 month before conception.

Pregnancy and chickenpox

Smallpox in pregnant women, developing in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, in 2% of cases causes serious problems for the fetus:

• Hypoplasia of the limbs;
• Microcephaly;
• Deformation of the skin, with scarring;
• Abnormalities of the eyeball;

9 cases of the development of similar defects were also described in diseases after the 20th week of pregnancy. Getting smallpox at any time during pregnancy is associated with the development of herpes zoster in the newborn or in very early childhood.

Like the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, the chicken pox vaccine should be given at least one month before conception. And the manufacturers recommend that the immunization be carried out 3 months before planning the pregnancy.

Influenza and pregnancy

Influenza during pregnancy can lead to both spontaneous abortion and the occurrence of such fetal defects as:

• Heart defects;
• Cleft palate – cleft lip;
• Abnormalities in the development of the nervous system;