Vaccines for Expecting Moms

Most expecting parents are aware that a number of vaccines are given to infants and young children to protect them from serious and sometimes deadly diseases.  But did you know that pregnant women need certain vaccines to protect the baby as well?  (These vaccines are also recommended for fathers and other family members who will be caring for the baby).

When these vaccines are given during pregnancy, they will help keep the mother from catching the disease after the baby is born and possibly giving the disease to the baby. However, they do something far more powerful. They stimulate the mother’s immune system to produce antibodies and these antibodies are transferred to the baby through the placenta. It is a way of “vaccinating” the baby before she is even born. This is the only way to protect the baby during the first few months of life because she is too young to get the vaccines herself. In the case of the flu vaccine, the vaccine also protects the mother from the flu, which can be much more severe in pregnant women.

We have offered these vaccines to parents for years in order to protect our youngest patients; we are now making more of an effort to get pregnant mothers vaccinated. We call it our BabyShield Parent Vaccine Program.

One of the reasons we are doing this is that even though the vaccines are recommended by the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), our surveys show that most of the pregnant mothers here are not being told about these vaccines by their doctor, and we feel a responsibility to make the recommendations known and protect as many babies as possible.

We can provide these vaccines to pregnant or postpartum mothers, as well as fathers and other family members who will be living with your baby. We also provide the flu vaccine to parents of our patients of any age, not just prenatal and newborns. Just call our office to get started.

Tdap: Whooping Cough

The Tdap vaccine is recommended for all pregnant women with each and every pregnancy, during the third trimester. It is also recommended for everyone who will be caring for the baby.

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a serious and sometimes deadly disease in children.  Infants are most at risk; however, a baby does not receive its first whooping cough vaccine until it is 2 months old, and immunity does not develop for several more months until more doses of the vaccine are given.  By the time a person is a teenager or young adult, immunity decreases and it is not that uncommon for a teenager or adult to catch whooping cough.  Fortunately, it is usually a relatively mild disease at this age.  However, in recent years, research has shown that many babies are catching whooping cough from their parents or siblings.

A whooping cough booster was added to the regular tetanus (Td) booster for teens in 2005. Later that year it was recommended that postpartum mothers and caregivers receive one after the baby was born if they had never had one. In 2011, the recommendation for women changed to receive the vaccine during pregnancy, and in 2013 it changed to receive one during every pregnancy, even if the mother has had one before.

Flu (Influenza)

A flu vaccine is recommended for mothers before or during pregnancy during flu vaccine season, and for everyone who will be caring for the baby.

Influenza (the flu) is an extremely common disease in the winter months; it is usually preventable or less serious with the flu vaccine.  The disease is more serious in infants and in the elderly, and in people with chronic diseases including asthma and diabetes, and in pregnant women.  The flu vaccine cannot be given to infants less than 6 months old, yet these infants are at higher risk of complications from the flu.  For this reason, it is recommended that all household contacts of infants receive a flu vaccine. Pregnant women should receive one both to protect themselves and also to provide some immunity to the baby.

The flu vaccine is given each year from September through the end of flu season, which is usually around April or May. It is recommended to get the vaccine early before the flu season starts. Pregnant women can get the vaccine during any trimester and should receive the shot, not the nasal flu vaccine.

Where to get vaccinated

Although some OB/GYN doctors have these vaccines, usually women need to see their primary care doctor. Fathers and family members do as well. We provide these vaccines to the parents of our patients. Simply call our office or ask for them when you are here with your child. They are also available at retail-based clinics (Walgreens, CVS) and pharmacies (Publix, Kroger), usually at a higher cost than at our office.