Vaccines for Pregnant Women

Changes in your immune system, heart, and lung functions during pregnancy make you more likely to get seriously ill from flu. Pregnancy increases the risk of being hospitalized with the flu and having flu-related complications if you get sick with the flu. Flu may also be dangerous for your pregnancy. Fever during pregnancy, for any reason, has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Additionally, babies are more likely to get very sick from flu. Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. When you get a flu vaccine during pregnancy, you pass antibodies along to your baby that can help protect them from flu in the first few months after they're born, when they are too young to be vaccinated themselves. You should get a flu shot every year.

It is safe to get the flu vaccine at any time during your pregnancy.

Whooping cough (pertussis) can be serious for anyone, but for newborns, it can be life-threatening. A vaccine for whooping cough is recommended during your third trimester so that your body can create and pass antibodies to your baby before birth. These antibodies will help protect your newborn from the time they are born to when they get their first whooping cough vaccine at two months of age. Your baby is most vulnerable to serious complications of whooping cough during their first few months of life. This vaccine is recommended during every pregnancy.

About half of babies younger than 1 year old who get whooping cough need treatment in the hospital. The younger a baby is when they get whooping cough, the more likely the baby will need to be treated in a hospital. While some babies cough a lot, other babies with whooping cough don't cough at all. Instead, it can cause them to stop breathing and turn blue. Siblings, parents, or caregivers who don't know they have whooping cough can infect babies since the disease often causes only mild symptoms in older children and adults.

Talk to your doctor about any questions or concerns you have about the Whooping Cough (Tdap) Vaccine.

RSV is a common cause of severe respiratory illness in infants. Babies infected with RSV can have difficulty breathing and eating and sometimes may need respiratory support or hydration in the hospital. There are two ways to protect your baby from getting very sick with RSV. You can choose to get RSV vaccine during weeks 32 through 36 of your pregnancy during September to January, or your baby aged 8 months or younger can get RSV immunization during their first RSV season.

Talk to your doctor about any questions or concerns you have about the RSV vaccine.

Flu seasons vary in their timing from season to season. For most people, CDC recommends getting the flu vaccine in September or October to ensure that they are protected before flu activity begins to increase. Early vaccination during July and August also can be considered for people who are in the third trimester of pregnancy during those months.

Instead of during a specific time of year, CDC recommends you get your Tdap vaccine in each pregnancy, ideally between the 27th and 36th week. Getting Tdap during this period, preferably during the earlier part, helps pass the greatest amount of protective antibodies to your baby before birth. This will help protect your baby during their first few months of life when they are most vulnerable to serious disease and complications.

You can get your RSV vaccine during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy during September to January, or your baby aged 8 months or younger can get RSV immunization during their first RSV season.