Vaccinations in pregnancy – Don’t miss the opportunity!

Pregnant women and neonates are prone to a variety of infections and often suffer from complicated courses of the disease. The growing knowledge on immunology and vaccinations during pregnancy has led to further development of already known strategies in protecting pregnant women and neonates in the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Vaccination during pregnancy against pertussis and influenza is safe and induces high levels of protecting antibodies in the mother. In addition, these specific antibodies are actively transferred to the fetus, protecting the newborn during the first weeks of life, when infections are often severe and associated with high morbidity and mortality. Viral infections like measles, rubella and varicella also may have devastating effects on mother and child when occurring during pregnancy. Available vaccinations (MMR, VZV) are inducing a stable and durable immunity, but are contraindicated during pregnancy, because of being live-vaccines. Therefore, every woman should be immune either by past infection or by vaccination before becoming pregnant. If susceptibility is only detected during pregnancy, vaccination should be started as soon as possible after birth. In conclusion, vaccinations during pregnancy offer a safe and efficient protection against dangerous infections for mother, fetus and newborn.