Vaccinations in pregnancy

Which vaccinations do I need?

If you are pregnant, the NHS recommends you have the following four vaccines:

Flu vaccine

You can get the flu vaccine at any stage of pregnancy from a pharmacy or your GP practice.

Whooping cough (Pertussis) vaccine

Whooping cough can be very serious for babies and can lead to them needing treatment in hospital. Newborns are at most risk because they will not have had any of their routine vaccinations yet. You can protect your baby by getting vaccinated against whooping cough while pregnant – usually around the time of your 20 week scan. You will be invited to have your vaccination by the NHS.

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)

The RSV vaccine offered during pregnancy helps to protect your baby from becoming unwell before they receive their own vaccinations. You should have the RSV vaccine from 28 weeks onwards during your pregnancy. You will receive a text from one of our community nurses who will invite you to a clinic.

Children’s doctor Dr Lauren Filby explains more about why the RSV vaccine is important:

COVID-19 vaccine

You can get the COVID-19 vaccine at any time during your pregnancy.

When will my baby have their vaccinations?

Protection from vaccines you receive while pregnant will protect your baby for a while but immunity will wear off, so it is important that your baby has their own vaccines at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age for this protection to continue. Your GP practice team will contact you to make an appointment when the time comes for your baby to have their vaccinations.

Why is it important for me and my baby to get vaccinated?

When you have vaccinations during pregnancy, you will pass protection (immunity) to your unborn baby which helps to protect them in their first few months of life. The vaccinations your baby has at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age help to make sure this protection continues.

Stories from local families

I spoke to my midwife about the vaccines, and they gave me all the information I needed to make my decision.

Rose

I chose to get vaccinated during pregnancy so I could pass the antibodies onto my daughter, to give her the best immune system and protection as soon as she had arrived.

Victoria

Find out more about vaccinations during pregnancy

For trusted and up to date information about the vaccines available to you in pregnancy, please check the NHS website. Your maternity and GP practice teams will also be happy to answer any questions you may have.