Vaccinations and Pregnancy

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Protect and Prevent

  • Icon of pregnant person
    Getting vaccinated during pregnancy can protect you and your baby from getting serious illnesses such as influenza (flu) and pertussis (whooping cough).
  • Icon of person holding baby
    Infants are at a higher risk of being hospitalized from these illnesses. By getting vaccinated, you can pass antibodies to your newborn to protect them until they are old enough to get their own vaccines.
  • Icon of vaccine bottle
    Vaccines are safe and effective and have been used for many years during millions of pregnancies.
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Icon showing multiple people

For even more protection, make sure anyone who may be in contact with your newborn is up to date on all of their vaccinations.

A Healthy Pregnancy

It is important to get the flu and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) vaccines during each pregnancy:

  • Get your flu vaccine at any time — it helps prevent complications from influenza, such as preterm labor.
  • Get your Tdap vaccine during weeks 27 to 36 of pregnancy — it can reduce cases of whooping cough in infants by 90 percent.
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Before you become pregnant, ask your health care provider to help make sure you are up to date on all of your vaccines, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and varicella (chicken pox).

Finding Care

Your Vaccine History

Keeping a record of your vaccinations helps you and your baby stay healthy. Ask your health care provider to report all of your vaccinations to the Health Department’s Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR) so:

  • Your records are in one place
  • You know which vaccines you have received and which ones are due
  • Your health care providers can make sure you have received all recommended vaccines

Be sure to keep your own records as well. Learn more about the CIR.

Resources