Pregnancy and infancy are both periods of increased vulnerability to infections such as seasonal influenza, Covid-19, or pertussis. Maternal vaccination is an effective and safe way to protect pregnant women, their fetuses, and infants from vaccine-preventable infections. This review aims to describe the current status and challenges of maternal vaccination against these infections and to outline some vaccines under development that may be licensed for use in pregnancy within the next decade.
What is already known about the topic?
Newborns are at risk for potentially serious infections. Vaccines are available for these diseases, but newborns cannot be vaccinated because of their immature immune systems.
What does this article bring up for us?
This article presents data from the literature on the safety and efficacy of maternal vaccination to protect newborns. It also explains the logic and rationale behind maternal vaccination, discusses the burden of these vaccine-preventable diseases, and outlines future prospects for vaccination during pregnancy.
Keywords
Vaccination, pregnancy, pertussis, Covid-19, influenza, CMV, group B Streptococcus, RSV