Patient education: Vaccines and pregnancy (The Basics)

What are vaccines? — Vaccines can prevent certain serious or deadly infections. They are a way of teaching your body how to fight the germs that cause the infections. Thanks to vaccines, many fewer people get seriously ill or die from infections than in the past.

Vaccines usually come in shots. But some come in nose sprays or medicines that you swallow. When a person gets a vaccine, this is called "vaccination" or "immunization."

Some vaccines can be given during pregnancy. Other vaccines should be given before you get pregnant.

Why should I get vaccinated? — Getting vaccinated can help keep you from getting certain serious infections. If you do get an infection, being vaccinated can also keep you from getting severely ill.

It's important to be vaccinated even if you don't get pregnant. But if you are pregnant and get certain infections, you can have problems during your pregnancy. Being vaccinated can also help keep your baby from getting sick before or after it is born.

What should I know about vaccines if I am planning to get pregnant? — If you want to try to get pregnant, make sure that your vaccines are up to date. This means that you have gotten all of the vaccines that your doctor or nurse recommends. If you are not sure if you have had all of your vaccines, your doctor or nurse might do a blood test to check.

It's especially important to be up to date with your vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox before you get pregnant. That's because vaccines to prevent these infections cannot be given to pregnant people. If you have not been vaccinated and you do get these infections during pregnancy, you can have problems. Problems can include:

●Passing the infection on to the baby, either during pregnancy or in the first few months after birth

●Pregnancy loss (miscarriage)

●Giving birth too early

●Having a baby born with a health problem

People who need the measles, mumps, rubella, or chickenpox vaccines should get them at least 1 month before getting pregnant. If you had chickenpox infection in the past, you do not need to get the vaccine. People who have had chickenpox rarely get the illness again.

It's also important to be up to date with the human papillomavirus ("HPV") vaccine before you get pregnant. The HPV vaccine is not given during pregnancy, although if you get it before knowing that you are pregnant, it is safe.

Which vaccines are safe to get during pregnancy? — Some vaccines are safe to get during pregnancy. These include vaccines to prevent:

●COVID-19 – You can get the COVID-19 vaccine if you are pregnant or plan to get pregnant. Pregnant people are more likely to get seriously ill if they get COVID-19, so doctors recommend getting the vaccine. This can also help keep your baby from getting COVID-19 during the first 6 months of life.

●Influenza ("flu") – All adults should get the flu vaccine each year. But it's especially important for pregnant people to get the flu vaccine. That's because pregnant people tend get more severely ill with the flu than people who are not pregnant. The flu vaccine can keep you from getting sick. It can also keep your baby from getting the flu during the first few months of life.

●Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis – Tetanus causes the muscles to work abnormally. Diphtheria can cause a thick covering in the back of the throat that can lead to breathing problems. Pertussis, also known as "whooping cough," causes a severe cough. All pregnant people should get the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine at 27 to 36 weeks of pregnancy, even if they got it before. This is mostly to protect the baby from getting whooping cough in the first few months after birth. Whooping cough in babies can be serious or even deadly.

●Respiratory syncytial virus ("RSV") – In adults, RSV causes an infection that is similar to the common cold or the flu. In babies, RSV can be serious or even deadly. There are 2 ways to prevent RSV in newborns. One way is for the pregnant person to get an RSV vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. The other way is to give the baby a shot after birth. Both are safe and work well to protect your baby from RSV. Your doctor or nurse can talk to you about your options and which is best for your situation.

●Other – Some people might get other vaccines while they are pregnant. For example, you might need certain vaccines if you have other medical conditions or plan to travel to another country.

There is no link between getting any vaccine and developing autism.

How many vaccine doses do I need? — Each vaccine is different. Some vaccines work after just 1 dose. Others need 2 or more doses to prevent an infection. For most vaccines, it takes a couple of weeks before you are fully protected. This is because it takes time for your body to prepare to fight the infection.

Do vaccines cause side effects? — They can. Often, vaccines cause no side effects, but sometimes, they do. When side effects happen, they can include:

●Redness, mild swelling, or soreness where the shot was given

●Mild fever

●Mild rash

●Headache or body aches

These side effects do not mean that you are sick. They just that your immune system (infection-fighting system) is responding to the vaccine.

Vaccines also sometimes cause more serious side effects, such as severe allergic reactions. But serious side effects are rare.

Ask your doctor or nurse what side effects to expect each time you get a vaccine. If you have a reaction or a problem after a vaccine, let them know.

What if I am pregnant and never got the measles, mumps, rubella, or chickenpox vaccines? — If you are pregnant, never got these vaccines, and never had these infections, avoid contact with people with these infections.

If you find out that someone around you has chickenpox or rubella, call your doctor or nurse as soon as possible. They can tell you if there is anything you should do.

More on this topic

Patient education: What you should know about vaccines (The Basics)
Patient education: Flu (The Basics)
Patient education: Vaccines for adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Vaccines for travel (The Basics)
Patient education: Chickenpox (The Basics)
Patient education: Staying healthy when you travel (The Basics)
Patient education: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (The Basics)
Patient education: Tdap vaccine (The Basics)
Patient education: Bronchiolitis and RSV in children (The Basics)

Patient education: Vaccination during pregnancy (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Avoiding infections in pregnancy (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Vaccines for adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Influenza prevention (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Bronchiolitis and RSV in infants and children (Beyond the Basics)