Maternal immunization: An opportunity to protect the vulnerable from infectious disease

Vaccination is one of the most cost effective techniques to prevent disease. Access to healthcare during antenatal visits provides an important opportunity to vaccinate the pregnant women with inadequate immunization and extending the benefit to the fetus also till it develops its own immunity after birth. There are many tropical infections like influenza, diphtheria, pertusis where the antenatal immunization can be of extreme benefit by providing protection and thus decreasing the maternal and neonatal maternal mortality and morbidity.