It is important that all women who are pregnant and will be pregnant during the influenza (flu) season get vaccinated against the flu.
Live virus vaccines seem to pose the greatest risk to pregnant women and their unborn infants. These live vaccines include:
* Varicella
* Intranasal influenza vaccine
* MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
* Oral polio
*Oral typhoid
* Yellow fever
TABLE 1
Immunizations During Pregnancy
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Considered safe if otherwise indicated
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Contraindicated during pregnancy or safety not established
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Special recommendations pertain
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Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td)
Hepatitis B
Influenza
Meningococcal
Rabies
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BCG*
Measles*
Mumps*
Rubella*
Varicella*
FluMist
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Anthrax
Hepatitis A
Japanese encephalitis
Pneumococcal
Polio (IPV)
Typhoid (parenteral and Ty21a*)
Vaccinia*
Yellow fever*
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*—Live, attenuated vaccine.
BCG = bacille Calmette-Guérin; IPV = inactivated polio virus.
Adapted from Guidelines for vaccinating pregnant women. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Atlanta, Ga.: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002.
