Is the DTAP vaccine safe in pregnancy?
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| Vaccine DTAP Pregnancy |
DTAP vaccine during pregnancy: what you need to know
Vaccination before pregnancy protects against infectious diseases, but above all protects your unborn baby. The DTP vaccine (against diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis) is recommended, as is the one against whooping cough. Should you get this vaccine before or during pregnancy? Are there any risks for the baby?
While most pregnancies go smoothly, you should know that pregnant women are more vulnerable to certain diseases, such as tetanus. To have a peaceful pregnancy, certain vaccinations are therefore recommended for pregnant women: they should ideally be done before becoming pregnant, sometimes during if the doctor deems it necessary.
There are several combinations of vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, polio and pertussis, often abbreviated with their initials. What are the differences between the DT vaccine, DTP vaccine and DTPC vaccine?
- DT is a bivalent combined vaccine against Diphtheria and Tetanus.
- DTP is a trivalent vaccine against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio.
- DTPC is a tetravalent vaccine against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio and Whooping Cough.
We can therefore see that, in certain cases, the whooping cough vaccine is added to the DTP, particularly in children.
DT vaccine booster when a woman is pregnant: is it mandatory?
While boosters of the diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccines are strongly recommended before considering pregnancy, they are not strictly speaking "mandatory". They are only mandatory for children.
But as doctors remind us, "it is preferable to have these boosters before becoming pregnant, even if no risk has been proven for the baby". However, experts specify that "DT, DTP and DTPC boosters are possible during pregnancy if your doctor deems it necessary, as are most inactivated vaccines such as those against hepatitis AB, pneumococcus, meningococcus, etc. Indeed, if the pregnant woman is not up to date with her boosters and plans to travel to a country at risk of contracting these diseases, vaccination during pregnancy is preferable to avoid transmitting the disease to the baby".
What is the time interval between the vaccine and pregnancy?
The time between vaccination and pregnancy for DTP or DTPC does not matter, as long as the booster was given within five years before pregnancy . This means that if you plan to become pregnant after age 30 and you had your booster at age 25 as per the official vaccination schedule, you will need to get vaccinated again.
When to get vaccinated against whooping cough when pregnant?
Like DTP, vaccination against whooping cough is recommended pre-conceptually , which means before becoming pregnant, if no booster has been given in the five years before the pregnancy plan.
How to get vaccinated against DTP or DTPC during pregnancy?
The DT or DTP vaccine can be prescribed by your doctor, but also by your midwife if she is the one monitoring your pregnancy. When you talk to your doctor about your plans to have a child, he or she will prescribe it for you.
What are the side effects of the DT vaccine?
The DT vaccine can cause minor side effects, which are normally benign, i.e. not serious. Here is the list:
- Mild local reactions: redness, pain at the injection site
- Low fever
- Pain
- Fainting
- Rarely: anaphylactic reaction.
Experts recommend not receiving this vaccine "in case of an allergic reaction after administration of a previous dose of tetanus or diphtheria vaccine".
Please note: if it is recommended to have DTP vaccines before pregnancy and not during it, it is because they can cause fever, and even if in the vast majority of cases this will not harm the baby, it is better to avoid any risk.
Can you get vaccinated while pregnant?
In some cases, for example if the pregnant woman is traveling to a high-risk country, she may be advised to get vaccinated during her pregnancy. But be careful, not all vaccines can be administered to a pregnant woman. There are two main families: live attenuated vaccines and inactivated vaccines.
Live attenuated vaccines "are made up of live germs (viruses, bacteria), which have been modified in such a way as to lose their infectious power while retaining their ability to induce protection in the vaccinated person". This type of vaccine is very effective against the disease, but is not recommended for pregnant women "because they contain a live infectious agent", specifies the specialist doctor.
The vaccines that can be administered during pregnancy are inactivated vaccines. Indeed, they do not contain live infectious agents.
