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Immunization resources for pregnant people

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Immunization resources for pregnant people

Vaccinations, like flu, whooping cough (Tdap), and COVID can be key to a healthy pregnancy for parent and baby. Getting vaccinated can keep you out of the hospital and help you and your baby avoid extra medical interventions, both before and after birth. Plus, some vaccinations give your baby immunity for the few months of life, when they are most vulnerable.

Changes in the immune system, heart, and lungs during pregnancy put pregnant people at greater risk of severe disease. But getting a flu shot can significantly cut your risk of being hospitalized with flu. Plus, when you get a flu shot during pregnancy, you help protect your babies for the first several months after birth, when they are too young to get vaccinated.

Flu vaccine has been safely given to millions of pregnant people across many decades. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that pregnant people get flu vaccine during any trimester of their pregnancy. Learn more about the current flu season and about flu vaccine in pregnancy.

Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) is a highly infectious respiratory disease. For most healthy children and adults, it isn't severe, but for young babies it can be life threatening. By getting a Tdap vaccine during the third trimester of every pregnancy, you can protect yourself from whooping cough AND pass immunity onto your baby.

Learn more about how to protect yourself and your baby from whooping cough:

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the CDC recommend getting a COVID-19 vaccine if you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, may become pregnant in the future, or are breastfeeding. Getting vaccinated can help both you and your baby.

  • Pregnant people have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
  • COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at preventing COVID-19 infection, severe illness, and death, and protection may be passed on to your baby as it develops.
  • A growing amount of data confirms that COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy. There is no evidence to show that getting a vaccine increase the risk of miscarriage. If you have questions, talk to your doctor.
  • There is no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems.
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