Vaccines During Pregnancy
There are four (4) vaccinations which are recommended during pregnancy to protect against serious diseases such as the flu, whooping cough, RSV and COVID-19. If you get a vaccine-preventable disease during pregnancy, you can become much sicker than a nonpregnant person who gets these infections. Vaccines offer you the best protection. These vaccines can keep you healthy and help protect your baby after birth:
Annual Flu Vaccine
The flu vaccine:
- Creates protective antibodies that are passed to your unborn baby, which protect against the flu until a baby can get the flu vaccine at age 6 months.
- Is effective at preventing severe flu illness during pregnancy.
- Is safe for you and your unborn baby during any trimester of pregnancy.
- Is recommended for individuals who are pregnant during flu season (typically October through May).
Whooping Cough Vaccine (Tdap)
The Tdap (Whooping Cough) vaccine:
- Creates protective antibodies that are passed to your unborn baby, protecting them against whooping cough until they can get their own whooping cough vaccine at age 2 months.
- Is safe for you and your fetus.
- Is recommended between weeks 27 and 36 of each pregnancy.
RSV Vaccine
The RSV vaccine:
- Protects against RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, a virus which is the leading cause of hospitalization among babies in the United States.
- Gives your baby protection right after birth.
- When received during pregnancy, reduces the number of vaccines your baby needs at birth.
- Is safe for you and your unborn baby.
- Is recommended at weeks 32-36 of pregnancy from September through January.
COVID-19 Vaccine
The COVID-19 vaccine:
- Creates protective antibodies that are passed to your unborn baby, which may protect against COVID-19 until your baby can get a COVID-19 vaccine at age 6 months.
- Is safe for you and your unborn baby during any trimester of pregnancy.
- Is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and up, including individuals who are pregnant.
A baby’s family members and caregivers should be up to date on their vaccinations to help form a circle of disease protection around the baby. Newborns do not yet have fully developed immune systems, making them particularly vulnerable to infections. Because of this, anyone who is around babies should be up to date on all routine vaccines, including:
- Whooping cough vaccine (DTaP for children and Tdap for preteens, teens, and adults)
- Flu vaccine during flu season
- COVID-19 vaccine
Talk to your healthcare provider about getting the recommended vaccines during pregnancy.
In West Virginia, you can receive vaccines at a healthcare providers’ office, a community health center, the local health department, or pharmacy.
For more information visit the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
