Pregnant

Recommended before Pregnancy

Before becoming pregnant, a woman should be up-to-date on routine adult vaccines. This will help protect you and your child. Generally speaking, live vaccines should not be given within a month before conception, while inactivated (killed) vaccines may be given at any time before or during pregnancy, if needed.

It is best to talk to your healthcare provider about vaccinations before you become pregnant. It is safe, and very important, for a woman who is pregnant during flu season to receive the inactivated flu vaccine. A pregnant woman who gets the flu is at risk for serious complications and hospitalization.

For more information, see Key Facts on Seasonal Flu Vaccine and talk with your healthcare provider.

Recommended after Pregnancy

It is safe for a woman to receive vaccines right after giving birth, even while she is breastfeeding. A woman who has not received the vaccine for the prevention of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) should be vaccinated right after delivery. Vaccinating a new mother against pertussis (whooping cough) reduces the risk to her infant, too. Also, a woman who is not immune to measles, mumps and rubella and/or varicella (chickenpox) should be vaccinated before leaving the hospital.

Did you know that your baby gets disease immunity (protection) from you during pregnancy? But this protection is temporary and only for the diseases that you are immune to. Protect your new baby and learn about infant immunization.

Pregnant Women and International Travel

Many vaccine-preventable diseases, rarely seen in the United States, are still common in other parts of the world. A pregnant woman planning international travel should talk to her health professional about vaccines. For more information, see Traveling while Pregnant, found on CDC’s Travelers’ Health website.

Read more about vaccines and pregnancy at the CDC’s site

Also, visit Flu.gov for more information about pregnancy and influenza.