61. Maternal Immunization/Vaccination
Maternal immunization is a promising strategy for protecting
mothers, the developing fetus, and young infants during a
particularly vulnerable time in their lives – especially in low- and
middle-income countries where morbidity and mortality among
women and their children is high. During pregnancy, vaccines
allow antibodies from the mother to cross into the placenta,
protecting moms and their babies from life-threatening illnesses.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66. Importance of immunization to pregnant
woman
Immunizing during pregnancy provides the
opportunity to protect both the pregnant woman and
her infant by transplacental transfer of vaccine-
induced antibody during the third trimester of
pregnancy with the additional benefit of reduced risk
of transmission of infection from mother to infant.
67. The recommended timing for maternal Tdap
vaccination is between 27 weeks and 36 weeks of
gestation. To maximize the maternal antibody
response and passive antibody transfer and levels in
the newborn, vaccination as early as possible in the
27–36-weeks-of-gestation window is recommended.
