Flu vaccination in pregnancy
When you become pregnant, your immune system weakens which makes it harder to fight
off infections. For many years, the NHS has recommended that, if you are pregnant, you get vaccinated against flu to protect you and your baby from serious illness. If you are eligible, it is important to get it every year because the viruses that cause flu change every year. This means the flu, and the vaccine, may be different from last year.
Evidence shows that, if you are pregnant and catch flu, you have a higher chance of
developing complications, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy. One of the most
common complications of flu is bronchitis, a chest infection that can become serious and
develop into pneumonia. Getting flu while pregnant could also cause your baby to be born
prematurely or have a low birthweight and may increase the need for admission to intensive care for both you and your baby.
The flu virus spreads easily and with more people mixing indoors and a higher number of flu cases expected this winter, it is really important that you get vaccinated.
If you have questions about any of the vaccinations available to you during pregnancy,
speak to your midwife, general practice team or pharmacist.
Whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy
Whooping cough (pertussis) can be very serious for young babies who are too young to start their routine childhood vaccinations. Babies with whooping cough are often very unwell, and many are likely to need hospital treatment as it can lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage.
If you are pregnant, you can help protect your baby by getting vaccinated – ideally from 16
weeks up to 32 weeks pregnant. If for any reason you miss having the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour. The immunity you get from the vaccine passes to your baby through the placenta and protects them until they are old enough to be vaccinated at 8 weeks old.
If you are pregnant, you have been able to get the whooping cough vaccine for 10 years
now. Getting vaccinated whilst pregnant is highly effective in protecting your baby from
developing whooping cough in the first few weeks of their life.
If you have questions about any of the vaccinations available to you during pregnancy,
speak to your midwife, general practice team or pharmacist.
Covid-19 vaccination
When you become pregnant it gets harder to fight off infections. This means you are at
greater risk from becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, especially in the third trimester,
which could cause complications for both you and your baby.
Studies of those who are pregnant admitted to hospital with COVID-19 show there is higher
risk of admission to intensive care, high blood pressure due to pre-eclampsia and premature or still birth.
Vaccination remains the best way to protect you and your baby and is recommended by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives.
Recent research shows being vaccinated in pregnancy can also give your baby protection
from COVID-19 for six months after they are born, reducing the risk of them needing hospital treatment for severe COVID-19 related illness.
You can be vaccinated at any time during pregnancy, and you can now get a further booster dose if it has been three months since your last one.
You can book an appointment online, call 119 or speak to your general practice team,
midwife or pharmacist about other ways to get your vaccine.