Why Vaccination During Pregnancy Matters
Preventable Diseases
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Why Vaccination During Pregnancy Matters

To-be Mom, protect yourself and your baby from diseases to keep you both healthy before, during and after birth1.

Preventable Diseases

Disease Icon

Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Symptoms :

Long coughing fits5, Whooping sound5, Tiredness5

Recommended vaccination

Whooping Cough Vaccination

27-36 weeks of pregnancy6

Disease Icon

Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory disease causing severe coughing fits and breathing difficulty, particularly dangerous for infants.2 Newborns cannot be vaccinated against whooping cough in the first few weeks after birth.3Most babies under 2 months of age with whooping cough require hospitalisation.4

Disease Icon

Diphtheria

Symptoms :

Mild fever8, Thick grey coating of dead tissue in throat/nose8

Recommended vaccination

Diphtheria vaccination

27-36 weeks of pregnancy6

Disease Icon

Diphtheria

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that can cause breathing issues and may even affect the heart or nerves.7

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Tetanus

Symptoms :

Spasms of jaw muscles10, Muscle stiffness10

Recommended vaccination

Tetanus vaccination

27-36 weeks of pregnancy6

Disease Icon

Tetanus

Tetanus is a life-threatening bacterial infection, often contracted through wounds, and preventable by vaccination.9

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Influenza (Flu)

Symptoms :

Sore throat11, Cough11, Fever11

Recommended vaccination

Influenza (Flu) vaccination

26 weeks onwards or any time in pregnancy if risk of flu is high6

Disease Icon

Influenza (Flu)

Influenza, or flu, is a contagious viral infection that spreads seasonally and can lead to complications.11

Test your knowledge about Vaccination During Pregnancy

Vaccination during pregnancy is unsafe.

Correct

Its a Myth!

Vaccines recommended during pregnancy are generally found to be safe based on extensive clinical studies.12,13 They protect both the mother and the baby.14,15 They help transfer antibodies to the newborn when they need them the most.16,17 Not getting vaccinated during pregnancy may increase health risks for the newborn baby.18,19.  

Wrong

Its a Myth!

Vaccines recommended during pregnancy are generally found to be safe based on extensive clinical studies.12,13 They protect both the mother and the baby.14,15 They help transfer antibodies to the newborn when they need them the most.16,17 Not getting vaccinated during pregnancy may increase health risks for the newborn baby.18,19.  

A healthy diet and supplements are enough; vaccination during pregnancy isn’t required.  

Correct

Its a Myth!

Nutrition plays an important role in a healthy pregnancy, but only vaccines can protect against certain serious infections that diet alone cannot prevent12.¹

Wrong

Its a Myth!

Nutrition plays an important role in a healthy pregnancy, but only vaccines can protect against certain serious infections that diet alone cannot prevent12.¹

Vaccination during pregnancy is not required as the baby will get vaccinated after birth.

Correct

Its a Myth!

There are some vaccinations, such as the one to protect against whooping cough, that are recommended for children only after the first few weeks after a child is born5. If vaccination during pregnancy is missed, it can cause an ‘Immunity gap’ in a baby in the first few weeks of their life.5  

Wrong

Its a Myth!

There are some vaccinations, such as the one to protect against whooping cough, that are recommended for children only after the first few weeks after a child is born5. If vaccination during pregnancy is missed, it can cause an ‘Immunity gap’ in a baby in the first few weeks of their life.5  

Missing vaccination during pregnancy will not have any impact on the health of an expecting mother or her baby.

Correct

Its a Myth!

Delaying or skipping recommended vaccines during pregnancy can increase the risk of serious but preventable infections in both mother and baby.20

Wrong

Its a Myth!

Delaying or skipping recommended vaccines during pregnancy can increase the risk of serious but preventable infections in both mother and baby.20

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Understanding Diseases: Blogs

  • Vaccination During Pregnancy: Protecting the Mother and Baby

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why should an expecting mother get vaccinated during pregnancy?

    In consultation with a doctor, getting vaccinated against diseases such as whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria, tetanus and influenza (flu) while a mother is expecting helps a mother create protective anti-bodies that are passed on to the baby. These anti-bodies can help protect a baby from diseases during the first few months of their life. 21

  • Is vaccination safe for pregnant women and their babies?

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a panel of experts, who make recommendations on vaccination, concluded that vaccinations recommended during pregnancy are not harmful for expecting women. These experts carefully reviewed the available safety data before recommending any vaccination during pregnancy. 21

  • What is the best time for vaccination during pregnancy?

    According to CDC, vaccination against whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria & tetanus are recommended during 27 to 36 weeks of pregnancy while vaccination against influenza (flu) is recommended prior to the flu season.

    Consult a doctor about vaccination during pregnancy. 21

  • Why is the vaccination to protect against whooping cough important during pregnancy?

    It helps protect against whooping cough (pertussis), which can be life-threatening for newborns. About half of babies younger than 1 year old who get whooping cough need treatment in the hospital. The younger a baby is when they get whooping cough, the more likely the baby will need to be treated in a hospital. 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. 21

    Consult a doctor about vaccination during pregnancy.

  • How does the flu vaccination during pregnancy help protect an expecting mother and her baby?

    Changes in your immune, heart, and lung functions during pregnancy make you more likely to get seriously ill from 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. Fever during pregnancy, for any reason, has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. 21

    Consult a doctor about vaccination during pregnancy.

  • Is it recommended for a woman to be vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria & tetanus during each pregnancy?

    The amount of antibodies a pregnant woman has in her body after getting vaccinated decreases over time. When a pregnant woman gets vaccinations recommended during pregnancy, her antibody levels may not stay high enough to provide enough protection during future pregnancies, even if her babies are close in age. So, it is recommended that a pregnant woman makes sure to give her second (third and fourth…) babies the greatest amount of protective antibodies and the best disease protection possible by consulting their doctor about vaccination during pregnancy each time that they are pregnant. 21

References

  1. About vaccines and pregnancy. (2025, February 19). CDC.gov. Retrieved June 21, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-pregnancy/about/index.html (cdc.gov)

  2. Pertussis (whooping cough). (n.d.). World Health Organization. Retrieved June 21, 2025, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/pertussis (en.wikipedia.org)

  3. IAP ACVIP recommendation 2023. (2023). Indian Academy of Pediatrics. 

  4. Update on pertussis and pertussis immunization. (2010). Korean Journal of Pediatrics, 53, 629–633. 

  5. Whooping cough (pertussis). (2025, January 30). CDC.gov. Retrieved June 21, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pregnancy/hcp/vaccination-guidelines/index.html (cdc.gov)

  6. FOGSIICOG Good Clinical Practice Recommendations (GCPR) Vaccination in Women. (2024). FOGSIICOG. pp. 1–17. 

  7. Diptheria. (2025). World Health Organization. Retrieved June 21, 2025, from https://www.who.int/health-topics/diphtheria

  8. Diphtheria symptoms and complications. (2024). CDC.gov. Retrieved June 21, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/about/symptoms.html

  9. Tetanus. (2019). World Health Organization. Retrieved June 21, 2025, from https://www.who.int/health-topics/tetanus

  10. About tetanus. (2024). CDC.gov. Retrieved June 21, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/about/index.html

  11. Signs and symptoms of flu. (2024). CDC.gov. Retrieved June 21, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/symptoms.htm

  12. Evaluation of the association of maternal pertussis vaccination with obstetric events and birth outcomes. (2014). JAMA, 312(18), 1897–1904. Kharbanda EO, VazquezBenitez G, Lipkind HS, et al. 

  13. Safety of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines in pregnant women. (2011). American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 204(6 Suppl 1), S64–S68. Moro PL, Tepper NK, Grohskopf LA, et al.

  14. Effectiveness of maternal influenza immunization in mothers and infants. (2008). New England Journal of Medicine, 359(15), 1555–1564. Zaman K, Roy E, Arifeen SE, et al.

  15. Safety and immunogenicity of Tdap immunization during pregnancy in mothers and infants. (2014). JAMA, 311(17), 1760–1769. Munoz FM, Bond NH, Maccato M, et al.

  16. Global perspectives on immunization during pregnancy and priorities for future research and development: an international consensus statement. (2020). Frontiers in Immunology, 11, 1282. AbuRaya B, Maertens K, Edwards KM, et al. 

  17. Maternal immunization earlier in pregnancy maximizes antibody transfer and expected infant seropositivity against pertussis. (2016). Clinical Infectious Diseases, 62(7), 829–836. Eberhardt CS, BlanchardRohner G, Lemaître B, et al.

  18. Safety of maternal immunization against pertussis: a systematic review. (2019). Infectious Diseases and Therapy, 8(4), 543–568. D’Heilly C, Switzer C, Macina D, et al.

  19. Viswanathan R, et al. Pertussis seroprevalence in mother-infant pairs from India: role of maternal immunisation. Archives of disease in childhood [Internet]. 2022 May;107(5):431–5. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34526295/

  20. CDC. Vaccine Recommendations Before, During, and After Pregnancy [Internet]. Pregnancy and Vaccination. 2024. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-pregnancy/recommended-vaccines/index.html

  21. Pregnancy and Vaccination (v1.0). (2024). CDC.gov. Retrieved June 21, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-pregnancy/recommended-vaccines/index.html