At Gwinnett OB/GYN, we offer several vaccines to our pregnant and non-pregnant patients. These vaccines are often given during your visit, if not you will need to make a separate appointment.
Flu: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that women who are or will be pregnant during influenza season be vaccinated. Flu season varies from year to year but usually begins in October and ends March. Pregnant and postpartum women are at higher risk for severe illness and complications from influenza than women who are not pregnant because of changes in the immune system, heart, and lungs during pregnancy. The single dose inactivated Influenza vaccine can be administered at any time during pregnancy, before and during the influenza season. This vaccine is reserved only for our pregnant patients. Not pregnant? Don’t worry, you can obtain this vaccine at your primary care provider’s office or local pharmacy
Tdap: The Tdap vaccine confers protection to tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough). The CDC recommends vaccination of women with Tdap during each pregnancy irrespective of vaccine status. The vaccine is usually given between 27 and 36 weeks of gestation to maximize passive transfer of antibodies to the infant. Although, it can be given at any point in pregnancy or immediately postpartum. We strongly recommend this vaccine as there has been slight increase in incidence and mortality of newborns due to pertussis in recent years
HPV (Gardasil): Gardasil is 3-dose vaccine series that protects against 9 strains of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Approximately 14 million people become newly infected with HPV each year, mostly teens and young adults. Almost every person will acquire an HPV infection at some time in their life. Persistent HPV infections can cause cervical, vaginal, vulvar, orophargyneal and anal cancers. For our non-pregnant patients, we offer Gardasil to women aged 9 to 26. Ideally, women should be vaccinated any time prior to initial sexual contact. Since it is a 3-dose series, the 2 nd dose is given 1-2 months after 1st dose and 3rd dose is given 6 months after initial dose. Once you have begun the vaccine series, we will remind you when follow-up doses are due. If somehow, you fall short of the recommended time frame, don’t worry you do not have restart the series. If a woman is found to be pregnant after initiating the vaccine series, the remainder of the series will be held until completion of pregnancy.
You may obtain other routine vaccines from your primary care provider. Feel free to ask about vaccines recommended for your age at your visit.
