Holidays and vacinations

[Sleepyhoglet]

I'm tentatively considering taking a holiday, possibly long haul, when I am 21 weeks pregnant. Some places require jabs or malaria tablets. What do you do if pregnant? Can you still have then? Am I being silly and risky?

Why would you go on holiday (ie voluntary excursion) somewhere that involves taking medication that may put your baby at risk? I'm not one who took the "wrap yourself in bubble wrap and hide from the world" approach to pregnancy but that just seems unnecessary.

NHS guidelines are to avoid malaria prone areas when pregnant.

Most travel jabs cannot be given during PG, so you should avoid locations which require anything you are not in-date for.

Some forms of malaria prophylaxis are safe in PG. You need expert advice on which strains of malaria are at your intended destination and if the prophylaxis you can take is effective against the strains.

You really must not cut corners on malaria protection when PG as the rate of complications (including fatal ones) is much higher.

But be aware that malaria prophylaxis can make to extremely sick - usually if at happened you'd swop to a different one. In PG you might not have that option.

Hi sleepy. This is my first pregnancy but I am due to get married in Mexico in October so I have this problem to!
I am seeing the midwife on the 19th so I will ask her and update you unless you speak to anyone first.
I know a lot of woman go on holiday before the baby has arrived for a last minute brake and some relaxation so I think we will both be fine :) x

Thanks Jodie and congrats.

To all those accusing me if being careless I Was just asking - nothing booked yet! Looks like it will be Greece for safety's sake.

I have been considering getting a vaccination against TBE (tick borne encephalitis) because we live in a risk area. I have decided to not risk vacinations whilst pregnant and I will just have to be more careful to avoid ticks.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to consider going to an area which has dangerous illnesses whilst pregnant. Yes a last min holiday before the baby comes would be lovely, but there is plenty of options that don't put you or your baby in danger.

As a practice nurse I'd be very reluctant to vaccinate you in pregnancy, and live vaccines are completely contraindicated so yellow fever, MMR etc can't be given.

Regarding vaccinations and antimalarials the consensus is the benefit has to outweigh the risk. That is rarely the case and especially so for a holiday.

Save your exotic holidays for after baby is born

I wouldn't take anti-malarials and vaccines during pregnancy or ttc. We were ttc for 3 years and like to travel. We found plenty of fairly exotic destinations that didn't require them. E.g. we had an amazing trip to Belize, including into the jungle, that didn't - some of the country is malarial but we planned the trip around that. Our pg holiday was to the Maldives. I couldn't dive as I usually would somewhere like that, but it was still amazing. Another place we were looking at was Costa Rica. With a bit of research you can still find some far flung places to visit. The CDC malaria map is here: cdc-malaria.ncsa.uiuc.edu/ There are other resources around too (I can't find the brilliant one I used a while ago).

I had to have a jab though for Maldives- yellow fever perhaps? Anyway the idea us off now. A nice week in Cornwall where clotted cream is the most dangerous offering!

Really? I think you only need yellow fever for the Maldives if you are travelling from an at risk country. I've been 3 times and never needed it.

Anyway, enjoy Cornwall.

Maybe it wasn't that but def had to have a jab.