Can I get the hepatitis B vaccine while pregnant?

Hepatitis B vaccine cannot be given during pregnancy. The main reason is that vaccination during pregnancy will affect the healthy development of the fetus and the physical health of the pregnant woman. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the fact that no vaccine can be injected during pregnancy, and you should also be careful not to take any medicines. As for the disadvantages of getting hepatitis B vaccine during pregnancy, you can read the contents of this article to avoid affecting the health of the fetus.

Can pregnant women get the hepatitis B vaccine?

During the 10-month pregnancy, pregnant women will inevitably be attacked by some diseases and sometimes need to be vaccinated. However, some vaccinations cannot be used by pregnant women because most vaccinations are vaccine preparations, and some vaccines are harmful to the fetus, and some can even cause fetal malformations. However, there are some vaccines that pregnant women can use. They not only prevent infectious diseases for pregnant women, but also have a good protective effect on the fetus. Therefore, it is not that you cannot get vaccinations during pregnancy. It depends on the nature of the vaccine contained in the vaccination.

For example, live attenuated vaccines refer to live viruses or bacteria that have been mutated after various treatments. After this attenuated live virus or live bacteria is inoculated into the body, it can grow and multiply in the body, causing a high response from the body until it plays a role in protecting the body. These viruses and bacteria have mutated and their toxicity has weakened. They will not cause disease, and a single injection can provide long-term or lifelong protection. However, live attenuated vaccines can enter the fetus through the placenta. Although they are attenuated, they are still live viruses or bacteria, and there is no absolute safety guarantee for the fetus. Therefore, it is better for pregnant women not to use this type of vaccine. Killed vaccines are processed dead viruses or bacteria that cannot grow and reproduce in the body. The immunity they cause is short-lived after a single injection, so repeated injections are required to provide lifelong protection. Vaccination of pregnant women will not affect the growth and development of the fetus, so this type of vaccine can be used when pregnant women need it. So, which vaccinations can't be used by pregnant women, and which vaccinations can be used by pregnant women?

Here is an introduction to several commonly used vaccinations.

1. Live attenuated hepatitis A vaccine:

The hepatitis A live vaccine has to go through an extraction and purification process and is a partially purified live vaccine, so it is best not to be used by pregnant women. Pregnant women who have never had hepatitis A but are at great risk of contracting it can be injected with immunoglobulin for short-term protection if they have close contact with hepatitis A patients or consume suspected contaminants.

2. Hepatitis B vaccine

There are two types of hepatitis B vaccines. One is a blood-derived vaccine that has been strictly sterilized, will not cause infection, and is safe and reliable. The other is a genetically engineered vaccine that does not contain the complete virus and is safer. The hepatitis B vaccine is an inactivated vaccine. Currently, it is required to be injected once every 3 to 5 years, with three injections at a time. Pregnant women who are not infected with hepatitis B virus can be directly injected with hepatitis B vaccine. Pregnant women who have been infected with hepatitis B virus (surface antigen positive) do not need to be vaccinated against hepatitis B. If the person is suspected of being infected, he will be given a shot of hepatitis B immunoglobulin. If the blood test result is negative for surface antigen, three shots of hepatitis B vaccine are required.

3. Rubella vaccine

Rubella vaccine should not be used by pregnant women. If you have been in contact with a rubella patient in early pregnancy and you have no immunity, it is better to terminate the pregnancy. Because rubella infection in early pregnancy can easily cause fetal malformations, and there is no other way to prevent it.

4. Tetanus toxoid and tetanus antitoxin

Both vaccines can be administered to pregnant women. People who have not been vaccinated with tetanus toxoid and diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine for a long time and may be infected with tetanus due to trauma should be given tetanus antitoxin in time as an emergency measure. Of course, non-immune pregnant women should be promptly injected with tetanus toxoid or diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine to prevent infection. After the toxoid is injected, antibodies will be produced, which also have a protective effect on newborns. It can be said that one person is injected and two people benefit.

5. Rabies vaccine

Rabies vaccine is a dead vaccine and can be administered to pregnant women. Pregnant women must be vaccinated against rabies after being bitten by a dog, because the disease can be prevented but not cured. Even among so-called "loved dogs", 30% are carriers of the virus, so once bitten by a dog, rabies vaccine must be given in time.

6. Japanese encephalitis vaccine

Pregnant women can use the Japanese encephalitis vaccine. Because this vaccine is harmless to the fetus, it can generally provide good protection as long as it is injected at the required time.