Vaccinations during pregnancy

and Sabine Schrör, medical journalist and Martina Feichter, medical editor and biologist

Sabine Schrör is a freelance writer for the medical team. She studied business administration and public relations in Cologne. As a freelance editor, she has been at home in a wide variety of industries for more than 15 years. Health is one of her favorite subjects.

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Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

Women who are pregnant or planning to have a baby are faced with many questions - including questions about the recommended vaccinations: Which vaccinations are advisable before pregnancy? Can I also be vaccinated during pregnancy? Read everything about vaccinations before and during pregnancy - recommendations, vaccines, possible risks and contraindications.

Vaccinations before pregnancy

Measles, rubella, chickenpox, diphtheria, tetanus & Co .: There are several infectious diseases that can pose a risk to mother and / or child during pregnancy. Therefore, women should prepare themselves beforehand against infection with a vaccination.

What vaccinations should I get before pregnancy?

The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recommends women who want to have children to check their vaccination status and, if necessary, to be vaccinated against the following diseases:

Measles: One-time vaccination with an MMR vaccine (combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella) for women born after 1970 who have received no or only one dose of the measles vaccination in the past or whose vaccination status is unclear.

Rubella: Two vaccinations with an MMR vaccine in unvaccinated women or women with an unclear vaccination status of childbearing age. One-time vaccination for women of childbearing potential who have received at least one dose of the rubella vaccine in the past.

Varicella (chickenpox): Two vaccinations for seronegative women of childbearing age ("seronegative" means that no antibodies against the chickenpox pathogen can be detected in the blood).

Tetanus, diphtheria, polio: Missing or incomplete vaccinations against these diseases should be made up according to the general recommendations of the STIKO.

In the case of vaccinations with live vaccines (e.g. measles, rubella and varicella vaccinations) there should be at least one month between the vaccination and the start of pregnancy.

Allowed vaccinations during pregnancy

Vaccinating with dead vaccines during pregnancy is generally harmless. In general, women should always inform their doctor about an existing pregnancy before vaccination. In this way, he can weigh the possible risks of the vaccination against the expected benefits.

For example, the TBE vaccination during pregnancy, the whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy and the tetanus vaccination during pregnancy are considered harmless.

Overview: Vaccinations Allowed During Pregnancy

Diphtheria vaccination

TBE vaccination

Flu vaccination

Hepatitis vaccination (A and B)

Whooping cough vaccination

Polio vaccination

Meningococcal vaccination

Pneumococcal vaccination

Rabies vaccination

Tetanus vaccination

HPV vaccination

Typhoid vaccination

Japanese encephalitis vaccination

The STIKO expressly recommends vaccinating against influenza and whooping cough (pertussis) during pregnancy:

Influenza vaccination: It should be given in the second trimester of pregnancy - unless an underlying disease such as asthma or diabetes increases the health risk. Then women should get vaccinated as early as the first trimester of pregnancy.
Whooping cough vaccination: Pregnant women should always be vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis), regardless of how long ago the last vaccination was. The pertussis vaccination is recommended at the beginning of the last trimester of pregnancy. If there is an increased risk of premature birth, vaccination against pertussis should be given in the second trimester.

A pregnant woman should also be vaccinated against tetanus, as the pathogen can be found anywhere in the world. In addition, the mother transfers her tetanus antibodies (antibodies) to the child and thus protects the newborn from infection. Most of the time, the tetanus vaccination is boosted in combination with the vaccination against diphtheria.

Pregnant women, on the other hand, should only be vaccinated against typhoid and Japanese encephalitis after carefully weighing the risks and benefits, for example in the event of an urgently needed, urgent trip to a corresponding risk area.

Contraindicated vaccinations during pregnancy

Live vaccines contain weakened pathogens that are still only able to reproduce to a small extent. They are harmless to the mother-to-be, but they can harm the unborn child. Pregnant women should therefore, if possible, not receive any vaccinations with live vaccines. This means that, for example, the rubella vaccination is contraindicated during pregnancy. In addition, a woman should not become pregnant for up to four weeks after vaccination with live vaccines.

Some dead vaccines may only be given to pregnant women if it is absolutely necessary - for example because of a trip to endemic areas or close contact with infected people (e.g. cholera vaccination).