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<\/p>\nIn general, Vaccines consist of either a live virus, which has been modified to be harmless, or isolated parts of a virus. Vaccines provoke an immune response but no disease. In pregnancy, vaccines containing only part of a virus are considered safe, while vaccines containing a modified live virus are generally avoided.<\/p>\n
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None of the current Covid-19 vaccines are live vaccines so they should theoretically be safe in pregnancy, but they have not yet been tested on pregnant women and therefore are generally not recommended in pregnancy. However, if a vaccinated woman finds herself pregnant, there is no cause for alarm.<\/p>\n
A\u00a0pregnant woman\u00a0who\u00a0has a\u00a0chronic\u00a0medical condition\u00a0that renders her susceptible to severe illness\u00a0if she contracted\u00a0Covid-19,\u00a0could consider vaccination after consultation with her physician.<\/p>\n
Since a\u00a0pregnant woman who\u00a0contracts\u00a0Covid-19 in late pregnancy can end up in premature labour,\u00a0any women contemplating pregnancy should get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is freely available. This advice is based on\u00a0the recommendation\u00a0of\u00a0the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists\u00a0(RANZCOG)\u00a0and other major obstetric societies.<\/p>\n
![\"other](\"https:\/\/www.obstetrician-melbourne.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/other-vaccinations-pregnancy-1.png\")
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While Covid-19 vaccines are not\u00a0currently\u00a0recommended in pregnancy,\u00a0many vaccines are.<\/p>\n
Ideally,\u00a0all pregnant patients should\u00a0have already\u00a0been vaccinated or\u00a0be\u00a0immune to both Rubella (German Measles) and Chickenpox. It is recommended that women contemplating pregnancy should check for immunity through a simple blood test and if not immune should be vaccinated prior to getting pregnant.<\/p>\n
Pregnancy\u00a0diminishes\u00a0immunity.\u00a0Pregnant women who\u00a0get the\u00a0flu can become\u00a0seriously\u00a0ill to the point of requiring intensive care.\u00a0In 2020,\u00a0due to social distancing, lockdowns and the widespread use of\u00a0masks, this was uncommon. Regardless,\u00a0vaccinating against current flu strains\u00a0during pregnancy is\u00a0recommended.<\/p>\n
Vaccination against whooping cough is the other major recommendation.\u00a0This is for the protection of the foetus.\u00a0Boosting the whooping cough antibodies from the twentieth week of pregnancy onwards with vaccination leads to more\u00a0whooping cough\u00a0antibodies\u00a0passing passively to the baby through the placenta. This\u00a0will help protect the baby in the first few months. The father and any carer who is going to spend time with the baby should also be immune to whooping cough but a vaccination within\u00a0the past\u00a0five years should be adequate.<\/p>\n