Immunisation before, during and after pregnancy
If you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, immunisation is an important way to protect yourself and your baby.
Immunisation can help to prevent infection. It can also reduce the seriousness of your symptoms if you do get infected. You can read more about how immunisation works to prevent infection and serious illness.
Immunisation during pregnancy can also protect your baby from some infections in the early months of life. This protection is important until your baby is old enough to be immunised themselves.
Certain vaccinations are recommended at certain times before, during and after pregnancy. Vaccination at these times is safe for you and safe for your baby.
It’s best to talk about immunisation with your GP, midwife, obstetrician, child and family health nurse or immunisation provider. Talking with one of these professionals is particularly important if you have a weak immune system or you miss getting immunised at a recommended time.
Immunisation before pregnancy
If you’re planning to get pregnant, it’s a very good idea to talk with your GP or immunisation provider about immunisation. They can answer questions and give you the most up-to-date information about immunisation and pregnancy.
Vaccinations that you should have before pregnancy
Some infectious diseases can harm unborn babies. But vaccination against these diseases isn’t recommended during pregnancy. These diseases include:
It’s important to be fully immunised against these diseases before getting pregnant.
Avoid getting pregnant for one month after vaccinations for chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella.
Other vaccinations recommended before pregnancy
It’s best to be fully immunised against the following diseases before pregnancy too:
It’s OK to have these vaccinations while trying to get pregnant.
To find out where you can get vaccinated, use Healthdirect’s service finder. You can also check your state or territory government or health website.
Immunisation during pregnancy
If you’re pregnant, it’s a good idea to speak with your GP or immunisation provider about your immunisation status.
The following vaccinations are recommended and free for pregnant women. They protect you during pregnancy and also protect your baby.
Whooping cough vaccination
You can have the whooping cough vaccine at 20-32 weeks of pregnancy. It’s often given in a combined vaccine that also protects against tetanus and diphtheria.
If you’re immunised against whooping cough in pregnancy, your baby gets antibodies. These antibodies protect your baby in their first months of life before they’re old enough to be immunised themselves. This is when your baby is most at risk from whooping cough and its complications, which include severe pneumonia and apnoeas (pauses in breathing).
Influenza vaccination
You can have the flu vaccine at any time during pregnancy. You might have 1 or 2 doses, depending on the time of year.
The flu vaccine helps to protect you from flu and its complications like hospitalisation and premature birth. It can also protect your baby in their first months of life, when they’re most at risk from flu and its complications.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV ) vaccination
You can have the RSV vaccine at 28-36 weeks of pregnancy. You get it in a single dose.
If you’re immunised against RSV in pregnancy, your baby gets antibodies that protect them from RSV. This can help to protect your baby in their first months of life, when they’re most at risk of serious complications from RSV and hospitalisation. Complications from RSV include bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
COVID-19 vaccination
You can have a COVID-19 vaccine at any time during pregnancy.
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended if you’re pregnant and you haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 before. And if it’s been 12 months since your last vaccination, you can have a booster dose.
Many vaccines are free through the National Immunisation Program (NIP) if you have a Medicare card. But some immunisation providers might charge a fee for giving you the vaccine. You can ask your provider about any costs before your appointment.
Immunisation when you’re breastfeeding
You can get recommended vaccinations while breastfeeding.
These might include vaccinations you couldn’t safely get during pregnancy, like the measles, mumps, rubella or chickenpox vaccination. Depending on the time of year, you might also get vaccinated against the flu.
Most vaccines are safe for you and your baby, and vaccination won’t affect the volume or quality of your breastmilk.
Childhood immunisation helps to protect your baby from infectious diseases that can make children very sick or even kill them. To be fully protected against some diseases, your child might need to be immunised several times at different ages, starting from birth.
Vaccines, vaccination and immunisation: what do these terms mean?
You might hear the terms vaccine, vaccination and immunisation:
- A vaccine helps to protect you from a disease. It’s a medicine.
- Vaccination means getting the vaccine, usually through injection.
- Immunisation means both getting the vaccine and being protected from the disease.
Most people use ‘vaccination’ and ‘immunisation’ to mean the same thing, although they’re not quite the same.
It’s good if your partner, other children and close family members are up to date with immunisation before meeting your baby. This includes being vaccinated against whooping cough.