Vaccination against diphtheria during pregnancy | Vaccination against diphtheria

Vaccination against diphtheria during pregnancy

Pregnant women should be cautious about vaccinations. Especially live vaccines and vaccinations in the first third of the pregnancy are problematic. Therefore, before a pregnancy or if you wish to have a child, you should check your own vaccination status to avoid problems later on.

Vaccinations can be given from the second trimester of pregnancy onwards, but they should only be given if they are urgently needed or if there is a health risk. Vaccinations are divided into questionable, harmless and prohibited vaccines. During pregnancy only inactivated vaccines can be administered. Since diphtheria is a dead vaccine, it can be administered during pregnancy. However, the necessity should also be checked carefully and a detailed consultation with the treating gynecologist should be made in advance.

Costs

Patients who have statutory health insurance are entitled to various free vaccinations. To this end, the Federal Joint Committee has drawn up a guideline on protective vaccinations based on the recommendations of the STIKO. According to these guidelines, the diphtheria vaccination is also covered by health insurance. The insured persons are also entitled to reimbursement if the vaccination is to be refreshed or completed.

Review

Like many vaccinations, the diphtheria vaccination is also critically considered. On the one hand, it can in individual cases cause stronger side effects such as damage to the peripheral nerves and on the other hand, permanent damage to the vaccination can occur. In addition, there are also various studies that deal with the connection between various secondary diseases and the vaccination.

There was one study, for example, which showed that six months after various vaccinations, including those against diphtheria, a higher mortality rate from infectious diseases occurred. Thus, the vaccination has come under criticism and its effectiveness is doubted.Vaccinations are intended to prevent epidemics and diseases and can contain and even eradicate the spread of a disease. It is therefore particularly important that vulnerable people such as children and travelers inform themselves in detail about a vaccination for their own protection and to prevent transmission.