A vaccine contains tiny pieces of the germ that cause a specific disease.
These pieces are called ‘antigens.’
When you get the vaccine, your immune system detects the antigens and makes antibodies to help fight that specific disease.
If you or your baby are exposed to the disease later, these antibodies will recognise it and fight it.
How do vaccines protect your baby during pregnancy?
When you have a vaccine during pregnancy, the antibodies in your blood cross the placenta into your baby’s blood to protect them against the disease from birth.
By getting vaccinated you are protecting your baby from serious illness.
What vaccines are recommended during pregnancy?
Influenza – also called flu, pertussis – also called whooping cough, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, vaccines are recommended for pregnant women.
These diseases can cause serious harm to babies and children.
The most effective way to protect our children from birth and prevent serious illness from these diseases is to get vaccinated during pregnancy.
The flu vaccine is recommended for every pregnancy and at any stage of your pregnancy.
The whooping cough vaccine is recommended between 20 and 32 weeks of every pregnancy although it can be given up to the time of delivery.
The RSV vaccine is recommended for women at 28 to 36 weeks of pregnancy.
It is safe for pregnant women to receive all 3 vaccines at the same time.
By getting these vaccines during pregnancy, you can protect your baby in the first few months after birth, when they are most vulnerable and cannot yet be vaccinated themselves.
The influenza, whooping cough and RSV vaccines are free for pregnant women under the National Immunisation Program.
For more information, visit health.gov.au/maternalvaccinations