IMMUNIZATION
& Pregnancy

Vaccines help keep a pregnant woman and her growing family healthy.

Before pregnancy
Before becoming pregnant, a woman should be up-to-date on routine adult vaccines. This will help protect her and her child. Live vaccines should be given a month or more before pregnancy. Inactivated vaccines can be given before or during pregnancy, if needed.

During pregnancy

Flu Vaccine
It is safe, and very important, for a pregnant woman to receive the inactivated flu vaccine. A pregnant woman who gets the flu is at risk for serious complications and hospitalization. To learn more about preventing the flu, visit the CDC website www.cdc.gov/flu.

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. Information about travel vaccines can be found at CDC’s traveler’s health website at www.cdc.gov/travel.

Childhood Vaccines
Pregnancy is a good time to learn about childhood vaccines. Parents-to-be can learn more about childhood vaccines from the CDC parents guide at 
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/flyers-brochures.htm. Also, the child 
and adolescent vaccination schedule can be downloaded and printed at 
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/default.htm.

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 new 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. Guidelines can be found at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/provisional/downloads/tdap-preg.pdf. Also, a woman who is not immune to measles, mumps and rubella and/or varicella (chicken pox) should be vaccinated before leaving the hospital.

Did you know that a mother’s immunity is passed along to her baby during pregnancy? This will protect the baby from some diseases during the first few months of life until the baby can get vaccinated.

Visit CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov for more information. Or get an answer to 
your specific question by e-mailing cdcinfo@cdc.gov or calling 
800-CDC-INFO (232-4636) · 24/7 · English or Spanish

Logo Department of Health and Human Services
Logo Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Safer, Healthier People

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/downloads/f_preg.txt