Immunization Information for Pregnancy
The flu and other vaccine-preventable diseases pose risks to you and your unborn baby. Vaccines help keep you and your growing family healthy. It’s important to make sure your immunizations are up to date.
What You Should Do Before Pregnancy
Know Your Vaccination History
Your primary care provider should have a record of all the immunizations you have gotten. Sharing this information with your preconception or prenatal healthcare professional will help them decide which vaccines you’ll need during pregnancy. If your healthcare professional does not have a current record of your immunizations:
- Ask your parents or other caregivers if they still have your school immunization records. Ask them which childhood illnesses you’ve already had.
- Contact your pediatrician's practice to see if they have any information.
Even if you can’t track down your records, your healthcare professional can still protect your health and that of your unborn baby by recommending vaccines that are right for you.
Protect Yourself Against Rubella with the MMR Vaccine
If a pregnant person gets rubella, they could have a miscarriage or their baby could be born with serious birth defects. The best protection against rubella is the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
If you aren't up to date with the MMR vaccine, you'll need to get it before you get pregnant. Make sure you have a pre-pregnancy blood test to find out if you’re immune to the disease. Most people were vaccinated with the MMR vaccine as children, but you can confirm if you were vaccinated with your primary care provider or other healthcare professional. The MMR vaccine should be given at least one month before pregnancy.
Vaccines During Pregnancy
If you're pregnant and not already vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine, you can get it during pregnancy. It’s recommended that all adults age 19-59 get the hepatitis B vaccine.
A baby whose mother has hepatitis B is at high risk for becoming infected with hepatitis B during delivery. Many people with chronic hepatitis B can be symptom-free for as long as 20-30 years, so you may not know if you have it.
The Tdap vaccine protects you against pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, and diphtheria. It also helps protect newborns against pertussis. Infants are most at risk for severe, life-threatening complications from pertussis.
You should get a dose of Tdap during every pregnancy, ideally from 27-36 weeks. The Tdap vaccine is safe for you and your baby, and it won't increase the risk of pregnancy complications.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of severe respiratory illness in infants. Nearly every child will get RSV by the time they are 2 years old. Babies infected with RSV can have trouble breathing and eating and sometimes may need respiratory support.
There are 2 ways to protect your baby from RSV:
- You can get RSV vaccine during weeks 32-36 of your pregnancy from September 1 through March 1. Maternal antibodies protect the baby against RSV for about 6 months after birth. If you have already gotten a maternal RSV vaccine during any past pregnancy, another dose is not recommended during other pregnancies.
OR - Your infant younger than age 8 months can get a long-acting RSV antibody during their first RSV season, from October to March. This antibody provides immediate protection against RSV and lasts at least 5 months.
The flu vaccine is safe and very important during pregnancy. Getting the flu when you're pregnant creates a risk for serious pregnancy complications and serious problems for your unborn baby. These risks include premature labor and delivery.
You can get the flu shot at any time during pregnancy, in any trimester. Because babies younger than age 6 months are too young to get flu vaccine, it’s important that everyone who cares for a baby also gets a flu vaccine.
There are two types of flu vaccine. If you’re pregnant, you can only get the flu shot, an inactivated vaccine given with a needle, usually in the arm. The other type of flu vaccine, the nasal-spray vaccine, is not approved for use during pregnancy.
Learn more on our Flu and Pregnancy page.
If you're pregnant or were recently pregnant, you're more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 than those who aren't pregnant. COVID-19 infection during pregnancy increases the risk of complications that can affect pregnancy and the developing baby.
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is your best protection against serious illness and complications from infection for you and your baby. You can get your updated COVID-19 vaccine at any point during your pregnancy.
Vaccines After Pregnancy
It’s safe to get vaccines right after giving birth, even while breastfeeding. If you haven't been vaccinated against Tdap, you should get it right after delivery. If you're not immune to measles, mumps, and rubella and/or varicella (chickenpox), you should get those vaccinations after giving birth and before leaving the hospital.
Anyone in Close Contact with Your Baby Should Be Up to Date on Their Vaccinations
Newborns do not yet have fully developed immune systems, which makes them vulnerable to infections. Even if they don't feel sick, older kids and adults can spread viruses to babies. It’s therefore recommended that adults and adolescents who will be around infants are up to date with recommended vaccines. This could include parents, siblings, grandparents, babysitters, and other childcare providers.
Anyone who needs vaccines should get them at least 2 weeks before meeting the baby because it takes about 2 weeks to develop antibodies after vaccination.