Vaccinations
HPV Vaccines for Prevention
There are now vaccines that can protect against the most common sexually transmitted disease Human Papilloma Virus. HPV is the most common cause of genital warts and cervical cancer and today affects 80% of all women by the time they’re 50.
Gardasil9® is a cervical cancer vaccine that guards against 9 strains of HPV.
Gardasil9® is usually recommended for girls age 9 - 26 and can be offered up to age 45, given as a series of three shots over a 6 month period.
Please visit the Gardasil website for additional information.
TDAP Vaccine for Pregnancy
The American Association of Pediatricians and the American College of Ob/Gyn have noted the increasing prevalence of whooping cough, also known as pertussis. As a measure to protect our newborn babies, it is recommended that pregnant women get vaccinated for Tdap with each pregnancy and all adult caregivers of newborns if they have not done so for the last 18 months to 5 years. We can give the Tdap vaccine to our pregnant patients after 27 weeks of pregnancy, but unfortunately we can't give them to fathers or other women who are not our patients. Your doctor or nurse practitioner can help counsel you and your husband/partner about this vaccine.
Please visit the CDC website for additional information.
Influenza Vaccine
During influenza season (October to March), it is strongly recommended that pregnant women get vaccinated against influenza (the "flu"). If they get ill with influenza, they can become critically ill. Talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner about getting the influenza vaccine, whether you are a pregnant patient after 12 weeks gestational age or a gynecology patient here for your yearly checkup.
Please visit the CDC website for additional information specific to pregnant women.
Covid Vaccine
Regarding COVID vaccination during pregnancy and breast feeding.
ACOG recommends that pregnant individuals have access to COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccines should be offered to lactating individuals similar to non-lactating individuals.
Individuals considering a COVID-19 vaccine should have access to available information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, including information about data that are not available. A conversation between the patient and their clinical team may assist with decisions regarding the use of vaccines approved under EUA for the prevention of COVID-19 by pregnant patients.