The advice given by Dr Ruba on this page and in the podcast is general in nature. See your health practitioner for personalised medical advice. 

As an obstetrician and fertility specialist, questions around vaccine safety in pregnancy (and pre-pregnancy) are something I hear a lot. And I want to encourage all my patients to feel completely comfortable airing any concerns or questions they have.

There are some vaccinations that are both safe and recommended during pregnancy, such as the flu vaccine — which not only protects the mother and baby during pregnancy, but actually transfers some protection to the baby after birth as well. RSV is another recommended vaccination that is safe in pregnancy, as well as the whooping cough vaccine, which is strongly recommended for the mother in the third trimester as well as dads and other family members who will be spending time with the newborn.

Certain vaccinations are not recommended during pregnancy, such as those for rubella and chickenpox, and ideally these vaccinations will be given at least three months before pregnancy.  This is why it’s important to get your vaccination status checked before trying to get pregnant if you can. A simple blood test at your GP clinic can tell you if you have any existing immunity to infections like rubella or chickenpox, and you can discuss and book in any other vaccinations you may need. 

There is a vast amount of research about the safety of vaccines in pregnancy, and it is an important step to protect both yourself and your baby. Please speak to your GP, your fertility specialist, or your obstetrician about vaccination safety for personalised advice.