Which vaccination is universally recommended for pregnant women regardless of their stage of pregnancy?

The correct answer is the influenza vaccination. Health authorities recommend that all pregnant women receive the influenza vaccine during any trimester of their pregnancy. This recommendation is based on the fact that pregnant women are at a higher risk for complications from influenza due to changes in their immune system, heart, and lungs during pregnancy. Receiving the vaccine not only helps protect the mother but also reduces the risk of influenza-related complications for the newborn, as antibodies can be passed to the baby, providing some protection after birth.

While other vaccinations may be important during pregnancy, they do not carry the same universal recommendation. For example, the Tdap vaccine is specifically recommended during the third trimester to help protect the newborn from whooping cough, but it's not universally recommended at any stage. MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and Hepatitis B vaccines are generally not recommended during pregnancy, especially the MMR vaccine, which is live-attenuated and contraindicated.