Vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases and since the introduction of vaccines in the UK, diseases such as smallpox, polio and tetanus that used to kill or disable millions of people are either gone or rare.
Vaccines teach your immune system how to create antibodies that protect you from diseases which is a much safer way than by catching the disease. There are very few people who cannot have vaccines and they are generally people who have either had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine or the ingredients in the vaccine. People with weakened immune systems (for example, because of cancer treatment or a weakened immune system) may also be unable to have some vaccines. Always check with your healthcare professional if you have any concerns before getting a vaccination. This could be your GP, your midwife or Hospital doctor.
During your pregnancy your immune system (The body’s natural defense) is weakened to protect the pregnancy. This means you are less able to fight off infections should you catch them. To protect your health and that of your unborn baby you will be offered the COVID 19 vaccination, the seasonal flu vaccination and the whopping cough vaccination.
Flu vaccine
Pregnant women are amongst the list of people at risk of getting seriously ill from flu hence are recommended to have the flu vaccine at whatever stage of pregnancy they are at. The best time to have the flu vaccine is in September before the flu virus starts circulating. However if you find out you are pregnant later on in the flu season you can still have the vaccine if you have not had it already for other reasons. The flu virus changes each year meaning each year all pregnant women are offered the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine does not contain any live virus so it cannot cause flu. More information about the flu vaccination can be found at:
The flu jab in pregnancy - Information about the flu jab in pregnancy.
Whopping cough vaccine
Whopping cough, medically known as pertussis is a serious infection of the lungs that causes bouts of coughing and choking making it hard to breathe. The “whoop” is caused by gasping of air after each bout of coughing. Whopping cough rates have risen sharply in recent years and babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk. Getting vaccinated whilst you are pregnant is highly effective in protecting your baby in the first few weeks of their life. The immunity you get from the vaccine will pass to your baby through the placenta and provides passive protection for them until they receive their vaccinations from 8 weeks old. The best time to have the whopping cough vaccine is between 16 weeks of pregnancy and 32 weeks as this maximises the chance that you will transfer antibodies to your baby. If for any reason you miss having the vaccine you can still have it up until you go into labour. However, this is not ideal as your baby is less likely to get protection from you but it will help to protect you from whopping cough and from passing it to your baby.
As there is no whopping cough only vaccine you will be offered a vaccine that also protects you against polio, diphtheria and tetanus. The vaccine is called Boostrix IPV and it is an inactivated vaccine meaning it does not contain a live virus. For more information about the whopping cough vaccine please search for the whopping cough and pregnancy booklet.
COVID-19 vaccination
The COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy is strongly recommended and more than 100,000 women in the UK have been vaccinated mainly with Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations with no concerning safety signals. Vaccination is the best way to protect against the known risks of COVID 19 in pregnancy including admissions to intensive care unit and premature birth of your baby. Women trying to conceive do not need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination and there is no evidence to suggest COVID 19 vaccines will affect fertility. You cannot catch COVID 19 from the vaccines and cannot pass it to your baby through your breast milk. For more information, please visit:
COVID-19 vaccination - Information for all women of childbearing age, those currently pregnant or breastfeeding on coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination.