Rubella vaccination should not be given during pregnancy

Many pregnant women want to prevent congenital rubella in their babies by vaccination. However, the Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology Pham Ngoc Dinh recommended that this is absolutely not recommended because it could be dangerous.

Pregnant women cannot get Rubella vaccination (Photo: abc.net) Dr. Pham Ngoc Dinh recommends that if you want to prevent rubella for the fetus, the mother must get the vaccine at least 1 month before getting pregnant, preferably before 3-4 months. Once pregnant, the vaccine should never be used because it is a live attenuated virus, usually produced in the form of a triple joint with measles and mumps vaccine.

When you are pregnant, the best way to rubella is to limit contact with the crowd, especially when there is an outbreak; wear a mask when out. Regular oral and respiratory hygiene with throat solutions. Pregnant women must also monitor and be alert if there is a symptom of rash infection.

Dr. Dinh also answered some common questions about rubella:

- At what age is rubella common?

- All ages can get rubella. The most common disease in children. However, recently, the disease tends to increase in adults.

- What time does the disease most appear?

Of the more than 10,000 cases last year, nearly 60% occurred between March and July. In the South, the disease occurs year-round. In the north, rubella thrives in the winter and spring, but this year the disease rises again in the late spring and early summer. Specifically, in the last 3 months, the number of detected cases increased continuously, in April alone it was over 1,000 cases.

- Rubella is benign or malignant disease?

- Both. It is benign for children and adults. If well cared for, the disease will go away without any complications. Rubella's complication rate is much lower than measles (1% compared to 10%). Complications can be caused by thrombocytopenia, meningoencephalitis, nephritis, testes, joints.

But for pregnant women, rubella is an extremely malignant disease because it is very easy to cause stillbirth, miscarriage or congenital rubella syndrome for children (85% if pregnant in the first 3 months. ). These children often suffer from mental and physical developmental delays, congenital and facial congenital malformations, blindness, deafness, liver, spleen, and bone marrow problems.

- Can someone who has cured the infection spread rubella virus?

- Rubella virus can persist in patients. More than 80% of children with congenital rubella syndrome can release the virus through respiratory secretions and urine for months after delivery.

Rubella is in the group with the highest transmission index. More than 80% of people who have not been vaccinated can get rubella if exposed to the sick person. Therefore, rubella is easy to develop in large groups. 65% of the reported epidemics in 2005 occurred in student groups or export processing zone workers.

- Rubella identification signs?

- Rubella should be considered when there are 4 manifestations: fever; have maculopapular erythema (plaques); swollen lymph nodes in the neck, behind the ears and under the occipital; joint pain.