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Does Varicella Vaccination Have Any Effect On The Fetus?

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Posted on Tue, 6 Sep 2016
Question: I got my mmr and varicella shot on July 7, 2016 not pregnant. Me and my husband are trying to have a baby, and we conceived on the 22, a few weeks later i got a postive test. Will my baby be OK? I didn't wait very long not knowing we had to wait at least a month?
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Answered by Dr. Kathy Robinson (9 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
the baby will most likely be just fine

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
The reason for the one month wait is just a precaution. The varicella vaccine is a live attenuated (weakened) virus. Because of this no one will ever test it on pregnant women.
The answer is that we just do not know if it is safe so to be on the safe side they advise women to wait a month.
No one could guarantee you 100 percent that your baby will be perfect but the greatest likelyhood is that this immunization will not harm your baby.
See your obstetrician as soon as possible and let them know that this has happened.
Make sure that you are taking a prenatal vitamin with folate.
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Kathy Robinson

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1989

Answered : 3535 Questions

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Does Varicella Vaccination Have Any Effect On The Fetus?

Brief Answer: the baby will most likely be just fine Detailed Answer: Hello, The reason for the one month wait is just a precaution. The varicella vaccine is a live attenuated (weakened) virus. Because of this no one will ever test it on pregnant women. The answer is that we just do not know if it is safe so to be on the safe side they advise women to wait a month. No one could guarantee you 100 percent that your baby will be perfect but the greatest likelyhood is that this immunization will not harm your baby. See your obstetrician as soon as possible and let them know that this has happened. Make sure that you are taking a prenatal vitamin with folate. Please let me know if you have further questions. Dr. Robinson