Chapter 38 VACCINATIONS DURING PREGNANCY
The administration of vaccines during pregnancy often poses concerns to physicians and patients about the risk of transmitting a virus to a developing fetus (Tables 38-1 and 38-2). However, for a developing fetus, this risk from vaccination of the mother during pregnancy is theoretical. There is no evidence of risk from vaccinating pregnant women with inactivated viral or bacterial vaccines or toxoids.
Live-virus vaccines, however, do pose a theoretical risk to the fetus. In general, live-virus vaccines are contraindicated in pregnant women because of the theoretical risk of transmission of the vaccine virus to the fetus. If a live-virus vaccine is inadvertently given to a pregnant woman, or if a woman becomes pregnant within 4 weeks after vaccination, she should be counseled about the potential effects on the fetus. Such vaccination is not ordinarily an indication to terminate the pregnancy.
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