How Vaccines During Pregnancy Protect Moms and Babies Before and After Birth

Why Vaccines Matter During Pregnancy

Today, we're going to discuss how vaccines can protect both you and your baby when you are pregnant. So whether you're planning a pregnancy, currently expecting, or have recently given birth, this information is for you and your family's health. I'm Katie Ward. I'm a professor at the College of Nursing and a nurse practitioner in the OB-GYN Department at the University of Utah.

Pregnancy is an exciting and joyful time, but it's also a time when your immune system is naturally suppressed. This makes pregnancy a time when moms are more vulnerable to certain infections that could harm both mom and baby. So that's where vaccines come in.

Vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect both of you. The Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, has very clear recommendations for vaccines before, during, and after pregnancy. These are recommendations based on extensive research and are designed with the safety of both the mother and the baby in mind.

Recommended Vaccines During Pregnancy: Tdap, Flu, COVID-19, and RSV

So, first, let's talk about the vaccines that the CDC routinely recommends during pregnancy.

Tdap

First, there's the Tdap vaccine. This vaccine protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, also known as whooping cough. It's important to get this vaccine each and every pregnancy, ideally between 27 and 36 weeks. This timing allows you to pass on protective antibodies to your baby because whooping cough can make new babies very sick.

Flu

Next is the flu shot. This can be given before or during pregnancy, depending on the time of year. Pregnant women are actually at higher risk for severe complications from the flu, so this vaccine is especially important. And you want to get this vaccine in the fall so that the protection lasts through the winter flu season.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 vaccine is also recommended for pregnant people. The mRNA vaccines, like Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech, are considered safe and effective during pregnancy. And like all the vaccines we're talking about, they give the baby some protection after delivery. So if you've not had a COVID vaccine in the past two months, it's time to get the new updated vaccine. If you have had a COVID infection recently, you can wait up to four months to get the next vaccine for the most protection. Babies can get the vaccine starting at six months.

RSV

Lastly, in pregnancy, is the RSV vaccine. The Pfizer RSV vaccine is given between 32 and 36 weeks. And, again, this timing is to make sure the immunity is passed to the baby to protect them after delivery also. RSV is a very common infection in new babies, especially in the winter, and the incidence of RSV has been on the rise lately. In little babies, premature babies, or babies that are born small, RSV can cause such severe complications that the baby needs to be put in the hospital on a ventilator and can even be fatal. So we take this infection very seriously.

Vaccines to Consider Before and After Pregnancy

So these four vaccines are the ones that we commonly give during a pregnancy for the most protection. Remember, these vaccines that we give when a woman is pregnant are thoroughly tested and monitored carefully for safety. They're all inactivated vaccines or viruses, which means they don't contain any live virus, and that makes them safe for you and the baby.

Now, there are some other vaccines that are best given before or after a pregnancy. For example, the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, should be given at least a month before someone gets pregnant if they haven't had it before. That's because it contains a live virus, and those are not recommended during pregnancy. Other vaccines that we don't give during pregnancy are the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, or the varicella, or chickenpox vaccine.

Ensuring Safety: Vaccine Research and Common Concerns

In my dream world, people would see their healthcare provider before getting pregnant. It's a great time to talk about vaccines and catch up on anything that you're due for, especially the ones we can't give in pregnancy. Another thing we like to talk about before someone gets pregnant is who else is going to be around the pregnant mom or the baby and make sure they are vaccinated as well. So family members, including siblings, grandparents, and care providers, we want to make sure everyone around you is up to date.

For many people, they might not have access to health insurance or a healthcare provider prior to pregnancy, and we don't figure out that they need to catch up on these vaccines until during their pregnancy. But it is safe to give any of the vaccines immediately after giving birth. So sometimes if we find a mom lacks immunity, for example, to rubella, which is covered in the MMR vaccine, this can be given postpartum before someone goes home from the hospital.

Now, it's natural to have questions or concerns about vaccines during pregnancy, but rest assured, these vaccines have been carefully studied and are continuously monitored for safety. The most common side effects are mild, like soreness at the injection site or a slight fever. These side effects, they're outweighed by the protections they provide you and your baby.

All major health organizations, like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Nurse Midwives, pediatricians, and the CDC, all recommend these vaccines during pregnancy. Pregnant people are more likely to have severe complications from infections, including COVID. Both their symptoms are more severe and the complications are more severe.

Vaccines are our most powerful tool to protect your health and the health of your baby. So by following these recommendations, you're taking an important step in ensuring a healthy pregnancy and a strong start for your little one.

If you're thinking about getting pregnant in the near future, this is the time to make an appointment to see your healthcare provider and catch up on any vaccines you need. Your healthcare provider is, of course, your best resource for personalized advice about vaccines during pregnancy.

Today, we talked about the routine vaccines, but there are special circumstances, for example, if you're traveling somewhere, that you may need other vaccines as well, and your healthcare provider can help you with those also. So here's to your health and the health of your growing family. Thank you for listening to The Scope.