Pregnancy is a crucial stage for both the mother and her baby. During this stage, there are things that pregnant moms should avoid like smoking and alcohol drinking but there are also things to take into consideration like getting a shot of the Tetanus Toxoid vaccine. The tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine are recommended during each pregnancy regardless of when you had your last Tdap shot or tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccination, one dose of Tdap will protect your newborn from whooping cough or pertussis. Ideally, the vaccine should be administered between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.
These 3 types of tetanus vaccines are safe for both mother and her newborn child. Since the maternal immune reaction to the vaccine will happen after 2 weeks of administration, Tdap will be given during the early part of gestational weeks to maximize inactive antibody transfer and security at birth.
Both CDC and the Food and Drug Administration will screen the vaccine safely through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a national vaccine safety surveillance program. Nowadays, VAERS has not found any safety signals among pregnant moms or their babies after Tdap immunization. Administering the vaccine during pregnancy can help them to lower the risk for complications like low birth weight or preterm delivery. Studies revealed that pregnant mothers have been getting both tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td) and tetanus toxoid (TT) immunizations to avoid neonatal tetanus since 1960.
Recently, many pregnant women failed the importance of immunization which make them more vulnerable to infections and can even harm their unborn child. Pregnant women must consult the doctor to get the right vaccine in the most appropriate time.
NO I Kimberly M. Tanador, RND
References:
- Pregnancy and Whooping Cough
https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/pregnant/hcp/vaccine-safety.html
- Pregnancy week by week
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/vaccines-during-pregnancy/faq-20057799
- Why Should Pregnant Women Be Vaccinated?
https://www.webmd.com/baby/pregnancy-is-it-safe-to-get-vaccinations#:~:text=Many%20women%20may,child%20is%20born.
