Safe and Unsafe Vaccines During Pregnancy: What Doctors Want You to Know

Recommended Vaccines

Pregnant women in India may be advised to take Td or Tdap, influenza, and Covid-19 vaccines based on guidance, past vaccination history, pregnancy stage, and individual risks. Td comes under the national immunisation programme, while Tdap protects against pertussis or whooping cough. Injectable influenza shots can be given in any trimester, and Covid-19 shots follow current national advice. Dr Tripti Raheja from CK Birla Hospital in Delhi and Dr Kaishreen Khan from Motherhood Hospitals in Pune state that proper vaccines protect mothers from severe infections and pass antibodies to babies.

Vaccines to Avoid

Live attenuated vaccines like MMR for measles, mumps, and rubella, along with varicella for chickenpox, are generally avoided as a precaution because they use weakened live organisms. The live nasal-spray influenza vaccine is also unsafe during pregnancy, though it differs from the safe, inactivated injectable version. Doctors emphasize that accidentally getting a live vaccine before knowing about a pregnancy is not a reason to terminate the pregnancy. Women should share vaccine details with their obstetrician, avoid panic, and postpone further doses until after delivery.

Side Effects and High-Risk Cases

Most vaccine side effects are mild and temporary, including pain or swelling at the injection site, mild fever, tiredness, and body aches. However, women must seek medical help for breathing trouble, throat or facial swelling, severe allergic reactions, high fever, or unusual symptoms. Vaccination plans must be tailored for women with high-risk pregnancies or chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and kidney disease, as well as those with past severe vaccine allergies.