Immunisation during pregnancy

Should I go for immunizations now that I am pregnant? I want to be sure that I have good antibodies, especially for rubella.

Your doctor will test for rubella antibodies when you have your initial blood tests. This is because contracting rubella during your pregnancy can have serious effects on the health of your baby, especially in the first months of pregnancy. Most women do have good antibodies to rubella, having had the infection as a child, or been immunized. Whether or not you have rubella antibodies, you should not expose your fetus to infected people. It’s just not worth the risk.

If you test low for rubella antibodies, it is unlikely that your doctor will recommend inoculation until after the baby is born. You will have to be extremely careful not to be exposed to the infection, especially in the early months of your pregnancy. Since the vast majority of the population has now been immunized against rubella, your chances of exposure are small, but you must be aware of the risk.

In general, your doctor will probably not encourage you to be immunized for any of the childhood diseases during your pregnancy. There may be exceptions but he will discuss the pros and cons of each situation with you. If you are considering conceiving and are worried about your immunity levels, then this would be an appropriate time to have them checked and perhaps addressed, before you conceive.

The main exception is that your doctor may encourage you to have a flu vaccine to ensure that you are healthy throughout your pregnancy. It is best to discuss this directly with your doctor.