Vaccinations in pregnancy

Why are vaccines important?

During pregnancy, your immune system (the body’s natural defence) is weakened to protect the pregnancy. This can mean you’re less able to fight off infections which makes you more prone to get serious illness.  

Vaccines help our bodies fight off infections by getting our immune system to produce protective antibodies. This protection is then passed on to babies through the placenta or in breast milk.

This is important as babies don’t start to receive their first vaccinations until 8 weeks of age, so this can help protect them until they do, and their vaccinations start producing their own protective immune responses.

All of the vaccinations that are recommended during pregnancy have been shown through research to help keep you and baby safe. They are inactive, which means they do not contain any live viruses so cannot give you or your baby the virus it is protecting against.

What vaccinations can I get?

  • Whooping cough (Pertussis)

    To provide the best protection women are offered whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, around the time of the mid-pregnancy scan (usually 20 weeks) and ideally before 32 weeks.  It may be given from week 16 up to the time a woman gives birth. It may be less effective if given close to when the baby is born. Women can also receive the vaccine after delivery, for up to 8 weeks until their baby is old enough to get their first dose. This can help protect the mother from pertussis, reducing the chance that their baby will be exposed to the infection.

    Whooping cough is a highly infectious disease that can be very serious for small babies. Most young babies with whooping cough will need hospital care. It can last for around 2 or 3 months. It can lead to pneumonia, fits and permanent brain damage. In the worst cases, it can cause death.

    UK studies have shown that having a vaccine in pregnancy is around 90% effective in preventing whooping cough in newborn babies. It is much safer for you and your baby to have the vaccine than to risk your newborn catching whooping cough.

  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

    You should be offered the vaccine around the time of your 28-week antenatal appointment. You can still have the vaccine later in your pregnancy, but it may be less effective. If it wasn’t possible to have a dose earlier, it can be given right up until you have your baby.

    Respiratory syncytial virus or RSV is a common virus which can cause a lung infection called bronchiolitis. In small babies this condition can make it hard to breathe and to feed. In England, around 20,000 infants are admitted to hospital each year with bronchiolitis and some will need intensive care. A small number will die.

     

    Studies show that the RSV vaccination reduces the risk of your baby having severe bronchiolitis by 70% during the first 6 months of life. Like all medicines, no vaccine is completely effective and some babies may still get RSV infection despite their mothers having the vaccine. However, for most babies born to vaccinated mums, any RSV infection should be less severe.

  • Influenza (Flu)

    Why should pregnant women get vaccinated against flu?

    The Flu vaccine is usually available from September each year and is free for pregnant women.

    You should have the vaccine once it becomes available in September, whatever stage of pregnancy you are at. Ideally have your vaccine before the start of the flu season, but you can still have the vaccine at any time over the winter.

    Flu is a highly infectious disease with symptoms such as fever, chills, aches and pains, headaches and extreme tiredness. Pregnant women have a higher chance of developing serious complications of flu, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy, including pneumonia. Flu can also threaten your pregnancy, leading to premature birth, low birth weight and stillbirth. Flu can also be extremely serious for newborn babies and young infants.

    Having the flu vaccine in pregnancy halves the risk of you or your infant having a flu-like illness. Infants born to vaccinated women are around 70% less likely to be admitted to hospital with flu over the first 6 months of life.

Do I need to get re-vaccinated for each pregnancy?

Even for those who were vaccinated in previous pregnancies, it is still important to get vaccinated for each pregnancy. This is because over time, immunity from vaccines naturally begins to drop. The flu vaccine also changes each year to target the most common flu strains circulating at the time, so flu vaccines received in the past will not be the same as the ones currently being used. Being revaccinated in each pregnancy increases the protection for both mother and baby.

What are the side effects of having a vaccination?

After having a vaccine, you may have some mild side effects such as swelling, redness or tenderness where the vaccine is injected in your upper arm. This is normal after having a vaccine and it should only last a few days.

Other side effects can include a high temperature, irritation at the injection site, nausea and loss of appetite, tiredness and headache. Serious side effects are extremely rare.

Speak to your midwife or GP practice if you have any concerns. You can report a suspected side effect of vaccination to the MHRA through the Yellow Card Scheme.

Useful resources:

Pregnancy: how to help protect you and your baby – GOV.UK

Vaccinations in Pregnancy: Are They Safe? | Tommy’s

Pregnancy | Vaccine Knowledge Project

Vaccinations in pregnancy – NHS