Q: Why do we need to vaccinate during pregnancy and is it safe?
As a pregnant mother or a woman who is planning for pregnancy, one of the first things you should do is to talk to your healthcare provider (O&G) about how you can best protect your unborn baby. One way is to vaccinate yourself during the pregnancy – this is how you can protect your baby.1 Your doctor will advise you on the appropriate maternal immunisation based on your age, lifestyle, medical conditions, travel and previous vaccinations.2
The vaccines you get whilst you’re expecting will play a significant role in protecting your unborn baby’s health as well as your health. The antibodies mothers develop in response to vaccines taken during pregnancy will cross the placenta and help protect your unborn babies from life-threatening infectious diseases such as pertussis (whooping cough) early in life.3,4
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a disease that is not talked about much. However, as you will see in the chart here, it is worrying as there has been an increase in recent years of pertussis (whooping cough) incidences in Malaysia.
In severe cases, this disease can lead to pneumonia, convulsions and brain damage. About 75% of pertussis-related deaths involve children aged below 3 months.5 Newborn babies are most vulnerable to infection during the gap from birth until 2 months of age when he or she is strong enough to be vaccinated6 with the National Immunization Program (NIP).
About 75% of pertussis-related deaths involve children aged below 3 months.5
I advise my patients all the time that for matters such as this, it is important to refer to credible sources of information. Vaccines containing inactivated viruses such as the Tdap vaccine will safely provide immunity for you and your unborn infant against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough).7,8 The Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy (MSIDC) recommends that all mums receive a dose of the Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of each pregnancy, as it reduces by over 90% the unborn baby’s risk of getting infected by pertussis (whooping cough) and reduces by 95% death due to pertussis (whooping cough) in babies 3 months and below.7,8,9 The Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) reinforces that the Tdap vaccine is recommended during every pregnancy, regardless of how long it has been since you previously received this vaccine.10
A mum’s immunity is an unborn child’s first protective shield. Ask your doctor today for the vaccination that is right for you during your pregnancy. This is what will keep your soon-to-be-born baby safe from harmful vaccine preventable diseases.
A mum’s immunity is an unborn child’s first protective shield.
In collaboration with:
Protect Me, To Protect My Baby is a public education campaign by obstetricians and gynaecologists that highlights the importance of Maternal Immunization (MI) in protecting unborn/ newborn infants from life-threatening vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) such as pertussis (whooping cough).
MAT-MY-2101114-8/21
References:
1 Zimmermann P, Perrett KP, Messina NL, et al. The effect of maternal immunization during pregnancy on infant vaccine responses. EClinicalMedicine 2019;13:21-30.
2 Vaccines During Pregnancy FAQs | Vaccine Safety | CDC https://www.cdc.gov › vaccinesafety › concerns › vaccine…
3 Sawyer M, Liang JL, Messonnier N, Clark TA. Updated recommendations for use of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) in pregnant women—Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2012. MMWR. 2013; 62(7):131-5
4 Kilgore PE, Salim AM, Zervos MJ, Schmitt HJ. Pertussis: microbiology, disease, treatment, and prevention. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2016;29:449—86.
5 Campbell H, et al. Emerg Infect Dis 2012;18(1):38–48; 2. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Pertussis: clinical complications. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/clinical/complications.html Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. 2012 Final pertussis surveillance report.
6 Vaccinations and pregnancy – March of Dimes https://www.marchofdimes.org › pregnancy › vaccinati…
7 Vojtek I, Dieussaert I, Doherty TM, et al. Maternal immunization: where are we now and how to move forward? Ann Med. 2018;50:193–208.
8 WHO vaccine-preventable diseases: monitoring system. 2020 global summary. Available at https://apps.who.int/immunization_monitoring/globalsummary/schedules Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy.
9 Guidelines for adult immunisation 2nd edition. Available at https://www.princecourt.com/medical-brochures/ Adult-Immunisation-Guideline-2nd-Edition-2014.pdf. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
10 Vaccines During Pregnancy FAQs | Vaccine Safety | CDC https://www.cdc.gov › vaccinesafety › concerns › vaccine…
ABOUT:
Dr Patricia Lim Su-Lyn is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist (O&G) in private practice who is active in social service efforts focusing on women’s health awareness campaigns. In addition, Dr Patricia regularly contributes as speaker and moderator at several health talks and conferences on a variety of topics related to women’s health.
