During your pregnancy, you will be offered certain vaccinations that can help protect both you and your baby. Vaccines can prevent diseases or reduce the severity of illnesses. The antibodies that you develop while pregnant are passed to your unborn baby, providing them with protection during their first few months of life.
During pregnancy, your immune system is weakened to protect the pregnancy. This can mean you’re less able to fight off infections such as flu. Pregnant women are also more likely to get complications from catching a virus.
The vaccines offered during your pregnancy are the best way to protect yourself and your baby from serious illness.
In general, the vaccines offered during pregnancy contain inactivated viruses (killed viruses), which can be given during pregnancy. Vaccines that contain live viruses aren’t recommended during pregnancy.
Vaccines that are safe and recommended during pregnancy
- Flu shot – This also is called the influenza vaccine. It’s recommended for people who are pregnant during flu season. The flu shot is made from a killed virus, so it’s safe for both you and your baby. Do not get the influenza nasal spray vaccine. It is made from a live virus.
- Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine – This also is called Tdap. The Tdap vaccine is recommended during each pregnancy, regardless of your last vaccination. Getting vaccinated between 27 and 36 weeks helps protect your newborn from whooping cough (pertussis).
- COVID-19 vaccine – An updated COVID-19 vaccine is recommended and safe during pregnancy, even if you’ve been vaccinated before. Research shows no serious risks to pregnant individuals or their babies. If you become pregnant after your first dose of a two-dose vaccine, it’s important to get the second shot. Pregnant individuals should also receive a booster when eligible. Encouraging those you live with to get vaccinated can help prevent the spread of disease.
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine – RSV is another virus that spreads easily and can be dangerous for babies. The RSV vaccine Abrysvo is recommended if you’re 32 to 36 weeks pregnant during the fall and winter. That’s because the virus spreads mainly during this time.
Your healthcare provider may recommend additional vaccines during pregnancy if you are at higher risk for certain infections. For example, some pregnant individuals may need the hepatitis B vaccine.
Vaccinations that are unsafe during pregnancy
Your healthcare professional likely will recommend that you not get vaccines that contain live viruses during pregnancy. Those types of vaccines might pose a risk to a developing baby.
Vaccines that aren’t recommended during pregnancy include:
- Chickenpox vaccine, also called varicella vaccine.
- Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
- Shingles (Shingrix) Although this vaccine doesn’t contain the live virus, it’s usually recommended that pregnant people delay vaccination.
For more information on the benefits of vaccination during pregnancy, you can read a leaflet from the UK Health Security Agency about vaccinations that protect you and your baby below.
Copies of this leaflet are available to download for free in a variety of other languages via the link below.
For the best protection, it is recommended to have your vaccines at the recommended time during each pregnancy, but you can be vaccinated up until you give birth.
There is a maternal vaccines postcard from the UK Health Security Agency that reminds pregnant women which vaccines they are eligible for and at what stage of their pregnancy. This can be viewed below.
All vaccines offered during pregnancy are free on the NHS and thoroughly tested for safety and effectiveness. You may experience mild side effects such as an aching arm, tiredness or headache, but these usually pass quickly.
Speak to your midwife or GP for more information.
Please take a look at the links below to read more about the various vaccinations recommended during pregnancy.