Vaccines are one of the primary means of disease prevention today. They help reduce the incidence and the burden of many serious conditions on the individual as well as the community, such as Polio and Hepatitis.
Years of large-scale scientific research have gone into the development of vaccines to make sure of their safety and efficacy and reduce the risk of harm. It has been determined through clinical studies that some vaccines are not safe to use during pregnancy, while others provide benefits with minimal to no risk to the well-being of the baby and the mother.
In this blog, we intend to provide some general information regarding vaccines and their relationship to pregnancy to help you make informed decisions and inquire further from your healthcare provider.
In Ontario, most vaccine-related services, such as visits, consultations, and vaccines themselves are covered by the government-issued provincial healthcare. Individuals are not expected to pay for immunization-related services except on specific occasions.
Vaccines and Immunity
In general, vaccines work by introducing pathogens (viruses or bacteria) to your immune system under controlled circumstances and doses to reinforce your immune system against them with memory cells. This enables your immune system to effectively combat the disease in case of any future encounter with said pathogen with stronger and more decisive responses.
On the other hand, refusing vaccination poses the risk of encountering a certain pathogen in the future for the first time and under situations out of hand. This may result in inadequate response by an underprepared immune system leading to serious and life-threatening harm.
Different Types of Vaccines
Vaccines mostly consist of parts of the offending pathogen (called Inactivated vaccines), or sometimes they include live attenuated pathogens. For instance, the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine consists of inactivated noninfectious bacterial products while the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine consists of live attenuated viruses.
In general, inactivated vaccines are considered safe to administer during pregnancy while live attenuated vaccines are not usually used in pregnant persons.
Possible Side Effects
In medicine, the benefits of interventions are weighed against the potential for harm. Conclusively, an intervention is recommended only when the benefits significantly outweigh the risks.
We have discussed the significant benefits of vaccines for the individual and the community. However, just like any other medication, vaccines pose some risk for adverse effects.
Some general possible side effects with vaccination include irritation, redness, and swelling at the site of injection, fever, headache, malaise, and skin rash. These concerns are usually self-limited and addressed with proper hydration, some over-the-counter medications (such as Tylenol), and rest.
Specific attention should be paid to children with fever due to the risk of developing febrile seizures. This is a benign condition caused by children between 6 months to 6 years old’s brain reaction to fever and can be prevented by proper control of fever, using OTC medications, hydration, cold compression and frequently washing their hands and feet with cold water. It is worth noting that this condition may develop with any fever of any origin at this age (such as an ear infection) and is not only related to vaccination.
Additionally, there is a risk of allergic reactions, which may range from hives to severe anaphylactic shock, based on an individual’s personal medical history. That is why it is important to inform your healthcare provider about any history of previous hypersensitivity reactions, specifically to vaccines, and remain under observation for at least 15 minutes in the healthcare center to address any possible acute side effects appropriately.
Extensive research has gone into vaccine safety for children and no relationship has been reported between childhood vaccination and epilepsy, autism, mental retardation, or any other developmental diseases.
Maternal vaccines
As previously mentioned, most inactivated vaccines are considered safe to administer during pregnancy. As a rule, in uncomplicated pregnancies, it is recommended to ensure that the parent has no missing vaccines before pregnancy and to update them on any missing doses as soon as possible, if not contraindication.
It is important to note that most live attenuated vaccines, such as shingles and varicella are contraindicated and considered not safe to administer during pregnancy.
In certain cases of high-risk pregnancy or during endemic seasons, some seasonal vaccines such as inactivated flu or RSV vaccines may be recommended by the healthcare professional.
Neonatal and infant vaccination
Vaccination protocols start early for optimum immunity among babies. Children in Ontario are administered one dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Additionally, their routine vaccination protocols start at 2 months old and are administered every few months or years until completed by the end of secondary school. This protocol covers diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, pneumonia, rotavirus, meningitis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, HPV, and more.
Some vaccines, such as annual seasonal flu and tetanus shots every 10 years need to be re-administered for sustained effectiveness.
You can contact your local healthcare provider for a more detailed overview of vaccination schedules.
COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy
In general, data shows that COVID-19 can safely be offered at any stage of the pregnancy (i.e., in any trimester). The antibodies promoted through the vaccination of the mother are transferred to the fetus via the placenta and breast milk, resulting in increased protection for the infant during the early postnatal period when they are not yet eligible for vaccination.
The vaccine may be considered for co-administration with other vaccines recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, based on the clinical judgment of the healthcare provider.
In addition, the COVID-19 vaccine can safely be administered to babies older than 6 months old.
Conclusion
In conclusion, vaccines serve the very important purpose of enabling our immune system against serious infections which benefits the individual, the mother, the baby, and the whole community. Many vaccines are considered safe to administer during pregnancy and they may provide the fetus with protection against seasonal diseases such as influenza or RSV.
It is important to consider that this article is not intended to offer professional advice and only serves to inform. For reliable and individualized advice regarding immunization of the mother and the baby both during and after pregnancy, it is recommended to contact your healthcare provider directly. Pay close attention to mentioning any history of allergic reactions or underlying medical conditions while inquiring about personal advice regarding vaccination in pregnancy.
