Which vaccine is contraindicated for pregnant patients?

The varicella and zoster vaccines are live-attenuated vaccines, and their use in pregnant patients is contraindicated due to the potential risk of transmitting the live virus to the fetus. During pregnancy, a woman’s immune system is altered, and introducing a live virus can pose significant risks to the developing fetus, including congenital varicella syndrome, which can lead to birth defects.

In contrast, the pneumococcal vaccine, influenza vaccine, and HPV vaccine do not carry the same risks. The pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for certain at-risk populations, including pregnant patients, to prevent pneumococcal disease. The influenza vaccine is also strongly recommended for pregnant women as it protects both the mother and the baby from influenza and its complications. Though the HPV vaccine is typically not given during pregnancy due to a lack of sufficient data and is usually recommended for administration prior to pregnancy, it is not a live vaccine, and while not ideal to administer, it is not strictly contraindicated.

Thus, due to the nature of the varicella and zoster vaccines as live vaccines, they carry a clear contraindication for use in pregnant patients, making this choice the only correct response in the context of the question.