Pregnancy vaccines are a small set of shots that protect two people at once. You make antibodies in response to each vaccine, and those antibodies cross the placenta to inoculate your baby. Newborns cannot get most vaccines for weeks to months, so what you pass along covers that gap. In 2026, four vaccines are part of routine prenatal care: the flu shot, Tdap, the RSV vaccine, and the COVID-19 vaccine. Each has a reason for its timing, and each is safe in a healthy pregnancy.
Is the flu shot safe during pregnancy?
Yes, and it is recommended in every pregnancy, in any trimester. Pregnancy changes your heart, lungs, and immune system in ways that make the flu more dangerous for you, and pregnant women who catch it are more likely to end up in the hospital. The flu shot also passes protection to your baby for the first several months of life, before a baby can get their own flu vaccine. Get it as soon as the season’s vaccine is available, usually in September or October, and ask for the injectable shot, since the nasal spray is a live vaccine and is not used in pregnancy.
When to get the Tdap shot in pregnancy
Tdap protects against whooping cough, which can be deadly for a newborn with tiny airways and a brand new immune system. It is given between 27 and 36 weeks of every pregnancy, even if you had one during your last pregnancy. Antibody levels peak a few weeks after the shot, so this window sends the highest levels of antibodies to your baby right before birth, and earlier in the window is better. Your partner and anyone who will spend time with the baby should be current on their own Tdap vaccines, too.
RSV vaccine during pregnancy: who needs it and when
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common cold virus that causes serious breathing trouble in young infants and is the leading reason babies under one are hospitalized. There are two ways to protect a newborn. One is a single RSV vaccine given to you between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy so your antibodies reach the baby before delivery. The other is an antibody injection given to the baby after birth. Most babies need only one of the two.
