04/05/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16bXJspL2P/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Things to Know About Vaccines and Pregnancy 💉💉💉
1. You aren't just protecting yourself—vaccines during pregnancy give your baby some early protection too!
Did you know a baby can get some disease protection from their mom during pregnancy? Getting flu, Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 vaccines while you're pregnant helps your body create protective antibodies (proteins produced by the body to fight off diseases), and you can pass on those antibodies to your baby. These antibodies can help protect your baby from those diseases during the first few months of life.
2. Flu, Tdap, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccination while pregnant can help keep you and your little one safe.
CDC and a panel of experts who make vaccine recommendations have concluded that flu, Tdap, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccines are not harmful for pregnant women and their babies. These experts carefully reviewed the available safety data before recommending any vaccines during pregnancy.
3. The Tdap vaccine helps protect against whooping cough, which can be really dangerous for your baby.
You'll need a Tdap vaccine during your pregnancy, with optimal timing between the 27th through 36th week of each pregnancy, preferably during the earlier part of this time period. Tdap helps protect against whooping cough (pertussis), which can be life-threatening for newborns. While some babies cough a lot, other babies with whooping cough don't cough at all. Instead, it can cause them to stop breathing and turn blue.
4. Getting a flu vaccine while pregnant can help protect you and your baby against flu.
Pregnancy increases the risk of being hospitalized with the flu and having flu-related complications if you get sick with the flu. Flu may also be dangerous for your pregnancy.
Additionally, babies are more likely to get very sick from flu. Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. When you get a flu vaccine during pregnancy, you pass antibodies along to your baby that can help protect them from flu in the first few months after they're born, when they are too young to be vaccinated themselves.
5. Getting an RSV vaccine during your pregnancy or getting your baby an RSV immunization can help protect your baby
RSV is a common cause of severe respiratory illness in infants. Babies infected with RSV can have difficulty breathing and eating and sometimes may need respiratory support or hydration in the hospital. There are two ways to protect your baby from getting very sick with RSV. You can choose to get RSV vaccine during weeks 32 through 36 of your pregnancy during September to January, or your baby aged 8 months or younger can get RSV immunization during their first RSV season.
6. Timing of vaccinations is everything!
You know all about timing. Week after week, you are tracking your baby's growth and development and counting down the days until you meet your little one! When it comes to vaccines, timing is also important.
DOH recommends getting vaccination against the flu from February to June to protect before the peak season.
Instead of during a specific time of year, CDC recommends you get your Tdap vaccine in each pregnancy, ideally between the 27th and 36th week. Getting Tdap during this period preferably during the earlier part, helps pass the greatest amount of protective antibodies to your baby before birth. This will help protect your baby during their first few months of life when they are most vulnerable to serious disease and complications.
You can get your RSV vaccine during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy during September to January, or your baby aged 8 months or younger can get RSV immunization during their first RSV season.
7. Anyone who is around your baby needs vaccines too.
Newborns do not yet have fully developed immune systems, making them particularly vulnerable to infections. Older kids and adults can spread viruses to babies, even if they don't feel very sick. Because of this, anyone who is around babies should be up to date on all recommended vaccines. This includes parents, siblings, and any other caregivers, like grandparents, or babysitters. Anyone who needs vaccines should get them at least two weeks before meeting the baby because it takes about two weeks to develop antibodies after vaccination.
8. If you get pregnant again, you'll need a Tdap vaccine with each pregnancy.
The amount of antibodies you have in your body after getting vaccinated decreases over time. When you get a vaccine during one pregnancy, your antibody levels may not stay high enough to provide enough protection during future pregnancies, even if your babies are close in age. So, make sure you give baby number 2 (and 3 and 4…) the greatest amount of protective antibodies and the best disease protection possible by getting your Tdap vaccine each time you are pregnant. You should also get a flu shot every flu season, and stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines.
Sources: CDC and DOH
