Usually, vaccinations are not given during pregnancy. However, during the 10-month-long pregnancy, sometimes you will inevitably encounter situations that require vaccination, such as: can you get a rabies vaccination if you are accidentally scratched or scratched by a pet during pregnancy? Can I get a tetanus vaccination if I pierce a nail? And so on. But will vaccination cause damage to the fetus? Which vaccines can be given during pregnancy and which vaccines cannot be given? Many mothers-to-be will have these questions. Vaccines can be broadly divided into two categories: “inactivated vaccines” and “non-inactivated vaccines”. For pregnant women, inactivated vaccines can be given, while attenuated or live vaccines cannot be given. Inactivated vaccines mean that the microorganisms in the vaccine have been killed by chemical or physical methods, and only the components of these microorganisms are sufficient for the body to develop immunity. Tetanus vaccine, for example, can be used during pregnancy. Attenuated or live vaccines are those made from microorganisms that have been weakened in their pathogenicity, and they must be live in order for the body to become immune. For example, measles vaccine and rubella vaccine are such vaccines and are prohibited during pregnancy. What are the vaccines that are contraindicated during pregnancy? The following vaccines are live attenuated virus vaccines and are contraindicated during pregnancy: measles vaccine, rubella vaccine, mumps vaccine, varicella vaccine, BCG vaccine. In addition, there is no clear evidence that HPV vaccine is harmful to the fetus when administered to pregnant women, but because of insufficient research data, vaccination is not recommended during pregnancy. III. Can these vaccines be given during pregnancy? 1. These vaccines can be given prophylactically to pregnant women who are exposed to high risks: Influenza vaccine: Pregnant women can be vaccinated before the epidemic season of influenza. The best time for influenza vaccination in the northern region is from September to mid-November, while the best time for influenza vaccination in the southern region is from December to February. It is important to get vaccinated 1 to 2 months before the epidemic season each year. Experts studied 2,000 women who received this vaccine during pregnancy and found no harmful effects on the fetus. It is best for pregnant women to observe for a few minutes after receiving the flu vaccine before leaving. Some people may experience localized redness and swelling at the site of the vaccination and even a low-grade fever for one to three days after receiving the flu vaccine, but these symptoms will disappear on their own after a few days. The flu vaccine needs to be given once a year because the flu virus changes very quickly, so the vaccine required varies from year to year. Therefore, pregnant women can still receive the flu vaccine during pregnancy even if they have received it in the past. Hepatitis B vaccine is a recombinant vaccine, which is composed of non-infectious hepatitis B surface antigen particles that cannot replicate and are not infectious, and will not cause harm to the fetus, and can be administered during pregnancy if exposed to high-risk prophylaxis. In contrast, pregnant women who are infected with hepatitis B can be harmful to themselves and their fetus. Therefore women can be vaccinated both during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Before receiving the hepatitis B vaccine, the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) must be tested and when the test results are available, the decision to receive the vaccine will be based on the results. Only those who are negative for surface antigen (HBsAg) can receive the vaccination. After receiving the hepatitis B vaccine, immunity can generally only be maintained for 3 to 5 years. If a pregnant mother who has received the vaccine has not received it again within 5 years, she can receive a booster vaccination. Hepatitis A vaccine is an inactivated virus vaccine and can be administered during pregnancy if exposed to high risk prophylaxis; pneumococcal vaccine is an inactivated bacterial vaccine and the indications for vaccination do not change due to pregnancy and the vaccine is only used for high risk groups. 2. These vaccines can be given to pregnant women, but are not routinely recommended: meningococcal vaccine is an inactivated bacterial vaccine, the indications for vaccination do not change due to pregnancy, and vaccination is recommended during pregnancy in the case of unusual outbreaks; typhoid vaccine is an inactivated bacterial vaccine, and is not routinely recommended during pregnancy unless there is close, continuous exposure or travel to endemic areas. 3. These vaccines can be administered in case of unexpected conditions during pregnancy: Rabies vaccine: Rabies itself is serious, with a mortality rate approaching 100%, and there is no evidence that infant abnormalities are associated with the application of rabies vaccine to the mother during pregnancy. Rabies vaccine is an inactivated virus vaccine used as a prophylactic after being bitten or scratched by a dog or other animal, so pregnant women should be vaccinated promptly if there is a possibility of rabies: subcutaneously or intramuscularly on the day, day 3, day 7, day 14 and day 30 after contact (bite or scratch) with a rabid or suspected rabid animal (mainly cats or dogs), respectively. Tetanus vaccine: Tetanus toxoid is used for prophylaxis after a contaminated wound and can be administered during pregnancy. The benefit of tetanus vaccination for pregnant women is that it prevents tetanus (a disease that is highly fatal to newborns) from occurring in newborns. The combined tetanus and diphtheria vaccine can be routinely given to susceptible pregnant women. A booster vaccination can also be given to previously vaccinated pregnant women if they have not been revaccinated within 10 years. Although there is no evidence that tetanus vaccine and diphtheria toxoid are teratogenic, vaccination should be started as early as possible in the middle of pregnancy to reduce the theoretical risk. 4. There is another group of biological agents that cannot be called vaccines but are also used for disease prevention: rabies immunoglobulin is a specific immunoglobulin for post-exposure prophylaxis and can be given during pregnancy in combination with rabies vaccine; tetanus immunoglobulin is a specific immunoglobulin for post-exposure prophylaxis and can be given during pregnancy in combination with tetanus toxoid; varicella immunoglobulin is a specific immunoglobulin and can be given during pregnancy in combination with tetanus toxoid; varicella immunoglobulin is a specific immunoglobulin and can be given during pregnancy in combination with tetanus toxoid. Globulin, which can be considered to be given to healthy pregnant women exposed to varicella to protect the mother rather than to prevent congenital infection of the fetus. Breastfeeding women can receive any vaccine. Breastfeeding does not affect the vaccine, and the vaccine does not affect breast milk. If a woman preparing for pregnancy receives a vaccine that is contraindicated during pregnancy, then it is recommended that the vaccine be given one month before pregnancy. Finally, there is no evidence that any vaccine given during pregnancy causes fetal health damage, and even if a live virus vaccine is contraindicated, the effects on the fetus are unknown, so it is not recommended to easily terminate a pregnancy because of such vaccinations. Take another look!