With the help of immunization, you can protect the body of pregnant women from certain diseases. However, it is always worth weighing the degree of risk and the need for a particular vaccine.
It is known that thanks to antibodies that have been acquired passively, the child can be provided with the necessary protection against disease. The first months of his life are often particularly difficult. This is why immunization of pregnant women is considered very important.
Many mothers-to-be are worried that their illnesses and medications may affect their child's health. Separately, it is worth considering the problem of preventive vaccinations. This is because they can either protect the child from illness or harm him.
Doctors say it's best not to avoid getting the vaccines needed. You just need to know and understand which vaccinations are considered acceptable for pregnant women.
When does a mother-to-be need a vaccine?
Immunization can only be carried out in case of a high possibility of infection:
- after contact with a sick person;
- with an unfavorable general epidemiological situation.
If there is no urgent need to get vaccinated, then it is better to refuse it. The impact of most vaccines on child development is not well understood. But in the event of a threat of a serious illness that can significantly harm the child, such additional immunization measures cannot be abandoned.
What vaccines are there?
There are several types of vaccines in total:
- active or inactivated types of viruses;
- inactive bacteria;
- standard or specialized immunoglobulins;
- toxoids.
During pregnancy, prophylactic vaccinations with a variety of live vaccines cannot be done, because the virus can multiply once it enters the body. After transferring it to a child, a fetal development pathology may form or a miscarriage may occur. Such viruses are quite dangerous when less than three months have passed from the moment of vaccination or illness before conception.
Passive vaccination is considered completely harmless. In such a case, an already killed virus or immunoglobulin is injected into the body.
Immunization should be done when the likelihood of infection is quite high. This happens in the case of a large epidemic. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the risks, because the possibility of complications should remain extremely small. Sometimes, for the purpose of prevention, you just need to avoid communication with the infected.
A pregnant woman should not do preventive vaccinations, the safety of which has not yet been proven. Among the permitted vaccinations are:
- from the flu, - meningitis, - rabies.
Additionally, if necessary, you can get vaccinated against tetanus, rabies and diphtheria. If you need other vaccinations, you must first consult with your doctor.
