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In the Western world, the use of vaccines during pregnancy is justified only in situations when there is an elevated risk of contracting a disease, when a possible infection would be seriously harmful to the mother or the baby, and when the vaccine is not likely to have harmful effects.
Routine vaccinations/booster doses are not recommended during pregnancy. The risks associated with vaccination during pregnancy are mostly theoretical.
- Live attenuated vaccines (vaccines containing a viable organism) are contraindicated during pregnancy.
- A 3-month interval between receiving a live attenuated vaccine and planning pregnancy is required.
- Inactivated vaccines may be administered to pregnant women when required by a specific condition such as a contaminated wound, travelling to a high-risk region, or flu season.
As with vaccines in general, the possibility of serious hypersensitivity reactions to a vaccine should always be taken into consideration.
Breastfeeding is not a contraindication to vaccinate the mother or the infant. Children of an expectant mother can be safely vaccinated.