The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) ---- "Immunization During Pregnancy,"
"The benefits of immunization to the pregnant woman and her neonate usually
outweigh the theoretic risks of adverse effects. The theoretic risks of the
vaccination of pregnant women with killed virus vaccines have not been
identified."
Current recommendations for immunization of pregnant women are presented in
Table 1. Although new information continues to confirm the safety of vaccines
intentionally or inadvertently given during pregnancy, current information is
subject to change because the effects of many diseases and vaccines on the
pregnant woman or the fetus may be rare and infrequently reported. (For further
information and updates refer to
www.cdc.gov/nip.)
In the decision of whether to immunize a pregnant woman with other vaccines not
listed in Table 1, the risk for exposure to disease and its deleterious effects
on the pregnant woman and the fetus must be balanced against the efficacy of the
vaccine and any beneficial effects resulting from it. Preconceptional
immunization of women to prevent disease in the offspring, when practical, is
preferred to vaccination of pregnant women with certain vaccines. Vaccination of
women during the postpartum period, especially for rubella and varicella, should
be encouraged. Women susceptible to rubella should be vaccinated with
measles–mumps–rubella on postpartum discharge from the hospital.
April 28, 2003
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS PLACES ITS
GUIDELINES ON IMMUNIZATION DURING PREGNANCY INTO THE PUBLIC
DOMAIN
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
Committee Opinion No. 282, "Immunization During Pregnancy," is
now available in the public domain. Originally published in
January in ACOG's journal, "Obstetrics & Gynecology," the
document reflects emerging clinical and scientific advances and
is subject to change because the effects of many diseases and
vaccines on the pregnant woman or the fetus may be rare and
infrequently reported.
The substance of the opinion document is a five-page table that
presents the following information about each immunobiologic
agent: Risk from disease to a pregnant woman and her fetus or
newborn; type of immunizing agent and its risk to the fetus;
indications for immunization during pregnancy; dose schedule;
and other comments.
To access a camera-ready (PDF) copy of the complete opinion from
the ACOG website, go to:
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/misc/bco282.pdf
To access an HTML copy, go to:
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/misc/bco282.cfm
To access the ACOG home page, go to:
http://www.acog.org