Vaccines help your body’s natural defence system, known as the immune system, to develop protective antibodies.
Antibodies fight disease and produce longer term protection. If you are vaccinated against a particular disease and you come into contact with it at a later date, your immune system will respond to the infection more quickly.
Vaccination can help prevent disease or make the illness less serious. Antibodies developed while pregnant pass to your unborn baby and help to protect them in their first few months of life.
Read on to learn about vaccines recommended in pregnancy for protection against whooping cough, flu and COVID-19, as well as travel vaccines in pregnancy.
Whooping cough (Pertussis)
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly infectious disease that can be very serious for babies under one year of age. Most young babies with whooping cough will be admitted to hospital. Whooping cough can cause long bursts of coughing and choking, making it hard to breathe. The ‘whoop’ noise is caused by gasping for breath after each burst of coughing. Young babies don’t always make this sound so it can be difficult to recognise.
Whooping cough commonly lasts for around 2 to 3 months. For young babies it can lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage.
The whooping cough vaccination programme for pregnant women started during 2012. Your body will produce antibodies to whooping cough which are passed through the placenta to your baby. Your baby then has some protection against whooping cough when it is born. This protection will wear off and your baby should have their whooping cough vaccine at 8 weeks of age. You will normally receive your whooping cough vaccine around the time of your mid-pregnancy scan (usually 20 weeks) but you can receive it from 16 weeks.
In the UK, babies are given the whooping cough vaccine at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. They are not given their whooping cough vaccines earlier than 8 weeks as they may not respond as well. Babies need 3 doses of the vaccine to build up full protection.
The only way to protect your baby from getting whooping cough in the first 2 months of life is by having the whooping cough vaccine yourself. The protection that you will get from the vaccine passes to your baby through the placenta and protects your baby from whooping cough until they are old enough to have their own vaccine.
- Studies have shown that the vaccine is very effective in preventing whooping cough in newborn babies.
- The protection that you will get from the vaccination also means that you are less likely to catch whooping cough and pass it on to your baby.
Visit the NHS website to find out more about the whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy.
Flu
Flu can be a serious infection for pregnant women and their babies. Pregnant women should have a free flu vaccine during each pregnancy. It can be given at any stage of pregnancy and as early as possible in the flu season. Having the flu vaccine means you're less likely to get flu.
The flu vaccination is an injection into the arm. It’s usually available from the end of September and is free for pregnant women. It’s safe to have at any time in pregnancy and takes around 14 days to provide protection following vaccination.
The side effects of the flu vaccine are mild compared to the disease itself and are seen in all people, not just pregnant women. Soreness and redness at the injection site are most common. You may also get a headache, muscle aches, fever or tiredness; these usually last for a day or 2 after the vaccination as it starts to work.
Visit the NHS website to find out more about the flu vaccination in pregnancy.
COVID-19 vaccine
If you're pregnant, or think you might be, it's strongly recommended you get vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect you and your baby. You're at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 if you're pregnant. If you get COVID-19 late in your pregnancy, your baby could also be at risk.
It's safe to have the vaccine during any stage of pregnancy, from the first few weeks up to your expected due date. You do not need to delay vaccination until after you have given birth. The COVID-19 vaccines do not contain any live viruses and cannot give you or your baby COVID-19.
You can book your vaccination appointment online via the NHS website.
Visit the NHS website to find out more about pregnancy and COVID-19 vaccination.
Travel vaccines in pregnancy
When you're pregnant, it's best to avoid visiting countries or areas where travel vaccinations are required. Visit the TravelHealthPro website for information and advice about travel vaccinations for different countries
It may not always be possible to avoid areas that require vaccinations when you're pregnant. If this is the case, talk to a midwife or GP, who can tell you about the risks and benefits of any vaccinations you might need.
