COVID-19 vaccination: pregnancy and breastfeeding

COVID-19 vaccination: before, during and after pregnancy

COVID-19 vaccination protects against severe COVID disease and is safe at any stage of pregnancy.

If you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, this guide explains whether you need a COVID-19 vaccine.

Women with healthy immune systems

Primary course

If you haven’t had a COVID-19 vaccine before and you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, it’s recommended that you have a primary course.

If you have a healthy immune system, your primary course will be only one vaccine dose.

Booster doses

If you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding and are 18 or older, talk with your GP, midwife, obstetrician or another trusted vaccination provider about whether you need a booster dose. If you need a booster dose, you can get one if it has been 12 months since your last vaccine dose.

If you’re under 18, you don’t need a booster dose.

The vaccination recommendations above apply also to women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding and have medical conditions that increase their risk of severe COVID disease.

Women with very weak immune systems

Primary course

If you haven’t had a COVID-19 vaccine before and you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, it’s recommended that you have a primary course.

If you have a very weak immune system and are 18 or older, your primary course will be 3 vaccine doses, with each dose given 8 weeks apart.

If you have a very weak immune system and are under 18, your primary course will be 2 vaccine doses, given 8 weeks apart.

Booster doses

If you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, talk with your GP, midwife, obstetrician or another trusted vaccination provider about whether you need a booster dose.

If you’re 18 or older and need a booster dose, you can get one if it has been 6 months since your last vaccine dose. If it has been 12 months since your last vaccine dose, it’s recommended that you have a booster dose.

If you’re under 18 and need a booster dose, you can get one if it has been 12 months since your last vaccine dose.

Why COVID-19 vaccination is important before, during and after pregnancy

COVID-19 vaccination is the best way to reduce the risks of COVID-19 if you’re pregnant.

If you’ve never been vaccinated against COVID-19 and get COVID-19 while you’re pregnant, you might get pregnancy complications that create risks for you and your baby. These risks include hospitalisation, neonatal intensive care and premature birth.

Also, your COVID-19 vaccination helps to keep your baby safe. If you’re vaccinated and either pregnant or breastfeeding, you might pass on antibodies to your baby. Most babies can’t be vaccinated against COVID-19, so your vaccination can give your baby indirect protection from COVID-19.

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.

COVID-19 vaccination safety and effectiveness

COVID-19 vaccination is safe. You have no increased risk of pregnancy complications because of vaccination. There are also no increased health risks for your baby.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is continually checking that all vaccines are safe and working as they should for pregnant women across the world.

Protecting yourself against COVID-19 before, during and after pregnancy

You should take simple protective measures against COVID-19 before, during and after pregnancy, particularly if you’re not vaccinated:

Use good hand and personal hygiene.
Stay away from people who aren’t well.
Consider wearing a face mask if you have to go somewhere that people might have COVID.
If you have visitors in your home, keep doors and windows open or use fans to improve air flow.
Have gatherings outdoors where possible.
If your work puts you at high risk of exposure to COVID-19, ask to be reassigned to lower-risk duties.

If you have a partner, they can help to protect you from COVID by making sure they’re up to date with their COVID vaccinations.

It’s best to get information about vaccinations from reliable and credible sources. The recommendations in this article are reliable because they come from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).