Pregnancy & Vaccines
Vaccines are an important part of a healthy pregnancy. Vaccines help protect both you your baby from diseases like influenza and pertussis.
The providers at Women’s Medical Center strongly recommend the following vaccines during pregnancy:
Influenza “Flu” Vaccine
Pregnant women are at higher risk for serious complications from influenza, including hospitalization and death. The inactivated influenza vaccine (aka “the flu shot”) can be given at any point during the pregnancy, whenever it becomes available.
Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis Vaccine (Tdap)
This vaccine protects you from tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis or “whooping cough.” A woman should get a Tdap shot during every pregnancy, and the best time to receive the shot is during the last trimester, between weeks 27 and 36 weeks gestation. Getting vaccinated during this time provides your fetus with the most protective antibodies right before birth. This is important because newborns under 3 months old are at the highest risk for serious complications and death from whooping cough. Since babies do not get their first pertussis vaccine (called Tdap) until two months of age, being vaccinated with Tdap during pregnancy can help protect your infant during this vulnerable time.
Our practitioners will advise you on when and where to get these two vaccines.
We encourage you to learn more!
For more information, below are links to reputable online resources that
we trust to provide evidence-based information on vaccines during pregnancy:
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG):
http://immunizationforwomen.org/patients/pregnancy/pregnancy.php - Emory University:
http://momvax.org - U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/pregnant.html
http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/pregnant/index.html