Why Maternal Vaccination is Essential in Disease Prevention for Pregnant Women and Newborns – Explained by Dr Neha Khandelwal

Maternal vaccination is crucial for preventing diseases in pregnant women and their fetuses. It is recommended that women should receive vaccines before pregnancy due to increasing infectious diseases, travel abroad, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Pregnant women are more susceptible to infections due to an altered immune response, and the outcomes can be severe. Vaccination reduces the risk of infection and the severity of diseases, such as COVID-19 and influenza. Maternal vaccination protects newborns through the placental transfer of antibodies or breast milk, which is particularly vital in the first few weeks of life. Tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines are essential during pregnancy. Hepatitis A and B vaccines are also available for post-exposure prophylaxis. Though vaccines such as the typhoid vaccine are not generally recommended in pregnancy, it may be taken if traveling to an endemic area. Maternal vaccination narrows the window of infection for infants and protects them from vaccine-preventable congenital conditions. Therefore, it is essential for pregnant women to consider the benefits of vaccination versus the risks. Take the necessary vaccines; the benefits are far more significant in almost all cases.