Vaccinations in Pregnancy

摘要

Routine immunization is one of the most effective means of preventing diseases, disability, and death from infectious diseases. Ideally, all women should be immunized against infectious diseases before they ever become pregnant. However, this goal is often not accomplished. In part, this is due to the fact that approximately 50% of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned; so timely confirmation of vaccination/immune status is not possible. As a reflection of the importance of immunization, The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists specifically recommends routine assessment of each pregnant woman's immunization status early in the antenatal course, and appropriate vaccination if indicated. Despite these recommendations, many susceptible women do not receive the necessary vaccinations. Thus, there is a significant gap between recommendations and clinical practice, and the goal of this lesson is to ensure that practitioners are knowledgeable about how best to improve performance in this area.