I have shingles and want to get pregnant – should I wait?
Yes, if you suffer from shingles (= infection with the varicella zoster virus), you usually have to take various medications. These are on the one hand strong painkillers and on the other hand a medication against the virus (mostly Aciclovir). There are several publications about taking acyclovir during pregnancy.
Here, no increased risk of malformations in the baby could be proven. However, shingles is usually a disease that heals quickly (3-5 weeks) with the right treatment. Therefore, from a medical point of view, one would always recommend waiting.
Hazards at the workplace/school
Teachers are constantly and excessively exposed to the diseases of children and adolescents. It is not uncommon for this professional group to be affected by the seasonal diseases that circulate. This is also the case with chickenpox in the absence of immunization of the staff.
There is a particularly great danger here for pregnant workers who are not immune to the virus or who do not know about their own immune status. If there is an outbreak of varicella in the school, it is the responsibility of the school management in this case to arrange for a company medical examination. This should clarify the immune status of the staff in order to reduce existing risks.
As long as no information is available that would guarantee a safe stay of the pregnant teacher, she must leave the workplace. Temporary options include a secondment to another school, the transfer of activities from the classroom or a temporary ban from the profession. The vaccination of children against the varicella zoster virus is officially recommended by the Robert Koch Institute.
The immunization, which consists of two partial vaccinations, prevents infection with chickenpox as well as the development of a very dangerous situation – a negative immune status during pregnancy. At the latest before a pregnancy, the vaccination should be carried out urgently – for the benefit of the mother as well as the child. If there was a risk of being exposed to the viruses, people without adequate immunization may be given immunoglobulins. This form of active immunization protects directly against the viruses and is used both in newborns (in case of infection 7 days before or 2 days after birth) and pregnant women (up to 2 days after contact).
