HealthInfo Canterbury
Vaccinations in pregnancy
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COVID-19 during pregnancy
Women are more at risk of serious illness with COVID-19 during pregnancy and for up to six weeks after giving birth.
Getting the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to be safe in pregnancy and is an important part of keeping you and your pēpi (baby) safe.
Breastfeeding is safe and the best option even if you have COVID-19 as it can provide protection for your pēpi.
If you're pregnant and have COVID-19, see this detailed advice.
Before your pēpi (baby) is born there are many things to think about and decisions to make. Your midwife or LMC and GP are there to support you and to help make it easier.
The information on this page can help you make informed decisions about protecting your pēpi during pregnancy.
Vaccinations during pregnancy
It's very important to protect yourself and your pēpi while you're pregnant and until they're 6 months old.
Research shows the recommended vaccinations that pregnant mothers have are safe and can help to protect your pēpi. We recommend that pregnant women are vaccinated against both the flu and pertussis (whooping cough) during their pregnancy. The pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination also immunises against tetanus and diphtheria. You can get both vaccinations free at your general practice. Just call them to book a time.
Whooping cough
Having a whooping cough vaccination gives your pēpi the best possible protection until they're fully vaccinated against this disease at 5 months. It's available free of charge from when you're 13 weeks pregnant until you give birth.
For added protection, it's best that all others who'll have close contact with your pēpi are also vaccinated against whooping cough so they can't pass it to your pēpi. They may have to pay for their vaccination.
The vaccination is also free of charge to parents or primary caregivers of pēpi admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit or specialist care baby unit for more than three days.
Flu
The flu vaccine is free to pregnant women during the vaccination season of 1 April to 31 December each year. Pregnant women are often more ill than other people if they get the flu and are likely to have worse complications. Having this vaccine also means there's less chance you'll pass the flu on to your pēpi baby before they can be vaccinated at 6 months old.
It's best that family members and close contacts are also vaccinated against the flu to protect both you and your pēpi.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Immunise NZ – Immunisation and pregnancy
Information about vaccinations you should get when your planning a pregnancy, while you're pregnant and after your pēpi is born.
- Ministry of Health – Immunise during pregnancy
This leaflet has information about protecting your pēpi and you from whooping cough and influenza.
The leaflet is also available in te reo Māori, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Hindi, Samoan and Tongan.
On the next page: Whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women
Written by the Canterbury Immunisation Provider Group. Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed December 2021.
See also:
Review key: HIPRC-41255
