The physiological changes that occur in your body during pregnancy can make you more susceptible to certain infections. Some infectious diseases can cause serious harm to pregnant women or their unborn babies.
Immunisation during pregnancy not only protects you but can also protect your new born baby. When you are vaccinated, your immune system forms antibodies that transfer from you to your developing baby during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This means they can receive protection from you when they are too young to be vaccinated themselves.
If you are pregnant, the Influenza and Pertussis (whooping cough) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine are recommended. All three are safe during pregnancy.
The Influenza vaccine is recommended during every pregnancy and at any stage of your pregnancy. It is the best way to protect both you and your baby from influenza. It can also be obtained for free from your GP and it too offers the baby protection after birth, for up to 6 months.
The Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine is recommended between 20 and 32 weeks in every pregnancy. It is the best way to protect your baby from birth against whooping cough. The vaccine Boostrix® can be obtained for free for both parents from your local GP. It is safe in pregnancy. It is also recommended that family and anyone else who will have contact with your baby should have the vaccine every ten years. Protection is not life-long and begins to fade after 6-10 years.
The maternal RSV vaccine is recommended for women at 28 to 36 weeks of pregnancy to protect their baby against serious illness from RSV.
You can get the influenza, whooping cough (pertussis) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for free while you are pregnant through the National Immunisation Program (NIP).
You can safely have the NIP influenza, whooping cough and maternal RSV vaccine in the same visit.
Covid 19 Vaccination?
Pregnant women who have previously been vaccinated are not routinely recommended to have a further dose of COVID-19 vaccine. However, they can consider a further dose of COVID-19 vaccine based on presence of underlying risk conditions and/or personal preference.
Why vaccinate for these diseases?
Respiratory Syncytial Virus
RSV is a common virus that can cause a range of severe respiratory illnesses such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia in babies that sometimes can result in prolonged hospitalisation and in severe cases causes death. RSV is spread through droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. The droplets can be inhaled by others or land on surfaces where the virus can live for several hours. By having vaccinations during pregnancy, you transfer antibodies to your baby through the placenta. This protects them from birth and in their vulnerable early months. Infant RSV immunisation products are also available and can be administered as early as day 3 after birth.
Influenza
Influenza can be a serious disease, especially when you are pregnant.
During pregnancy, the immune system is naturally weakened, which puts pregnant women at a greater risk of getting the influenza. If you catch influenza, it can put you at a higher risk than other adults of complications and even lead to hospitalisation.
Babies under 6 months are too young to have the influenza vaccination. The best way to protect your newborn baby is to have the influenza vaccination during pregnancy.
Whooping cough (pertussis)
Whooping cough is a serious disease for babies that can be deadly. It is a highly contagious severe respiratory illness characterised by bouts of coughing which make it difficult to breathe. When you are vaccinated, your antibodies transfer from you to your developing baby. Babies will have some protection until they can have their first immunisations at 6 weeks of age.
Other common infections
Chicken Pox (Varicella Zoster) and Shingles
Chicken pox is a viral infection that is highly contagious. It is spread via respiratory droplets (cough, sneeze etc.) and results in a characteristic blister like rash. Many Australian women (90%) have either had the infection as a child or been vaccinated. Vaccination is not safe in pregnancy.
Occasionally, at times of stress or fatigue, the virus can reactivate and cause ‘shingles’. This is a less severe version of the original disease and can only be cause infections in other patients via direct contact with the lesions on the skin.
Infection with Varicella confers lifelong immunity which can be detected through a blood test, usually checked at the beginning of the pregnancy.
If you are immune to Varicella you are not at risk of re-infection. If you are not immune and you come into contact with chickenpox or shingles, you need to contact your health professional immediately. This is so that you can be given a zoster immunoglobulin injection (ZIG) within 96 hours of contact to reduce your risk of infection.
If you are non-immune and planning a pregnancy, vaccination pre-pregnancy is ideal. You should avoid pregnancy for 4 weeks after completing the vaccine schedule and avoid contact with non-immune pregnant women should a post-vaccination rash occur.
If you get shingles while you are pregnant, it is usually mild and there is no risk for you or your baby. However, you can spread the infection before the blisters crust over. So, if you have shingles, you should avoid contact with other pregnant women, as well as babies less than 1 month old.
Hand foot and mouth
Hand, foot and mouth disease is an illness caused by a virus called Coxsackie virus. It is very common in children under 8 and, being highly contagious, frequently seen in children who attend day care. It is characterised by sores (rash) on the child’s hands, feet and sometimes in the mouth.
Most adults have had hand, foot and mouth disease as children. If they do contract it as an adult it is often very mild. It is not known to cause any problems in pregnancy.
Parvovirus (Slapped Cheek)
Parvovirus is another common viral illness of childhood. 70% of adults in Australia have had parvovirus as a child which gives them lifelong immunity, easily detected by a blood test. When children have parvovirus they commonly are unwell with a high fever and then develop bright red cheeks (hence the name ‘slapped cheek’ disease).
Adults though are usually only mildly affected. In pregnancy parvovirus can cause anaemia in the developing fetus which can lead to heart failure. If you come in to contact with parvovirus during your pregnancy, contact the practice so that your risk level can be assessed and immunity checked.
